No let-up for Greece as riots go on

Riots have continued for a fifth day in Greece as police and rioters clashed, despite the opposition party calling for peace. Along with the anti-goverment riots that started after the death of 15 year-old Alexis Grigoropolous, was a general strike that meant flights were grounded, schools shut and hospitals ran on emergency services.

Hundreds of shops in Athens have been damaged or destroyed by the rioting, with the cost of the damage in the capital thought to be about 600 million Euros. The government has promised to compensate businesses that have been affected by the riots, but it is a sum they will struggle to pay, with their economy in trouble. Greece was hoping that Christmas spending would signal an upturn in fortunes, but as the rioting shows no sign of stopping, things are likely to get much worse.

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tags: Greece