Having a Riot and amarch in March .

The general strike here in Athens meant we were without
accommodation as we were due to leave for Israel today. No planes, no trains,
no boats: not anything is working. Luckily we found another hotel room round
the corner from where we were staying and it is so much better than the last one
and with a wonderful view of the acropolis.

Wondering what to do, went to Syntigma Square, (3 minutes
walk away) to watch the changing of the guard. We then realised something was
really different. No traffic. Loads of police with riot shields and full combat
gear; Shouting in the distance; it was all going to take place right where we
were. Yes................................ said Mike.               No..................................
said Dyana. We stayed!!!!!

The noise grew louder as someone said there were to be at
least 100,000 people. Yes................. Should be worth staying for and
watching. Sat down on some posts right alongside the road . Couldn’t get any
closer without joining in which I nearly did, but had to be held back by my
better half.

It was led by members of the communist party all carrying
red flags. So many flags and banners which we couldn’t read as they were all in
Greek. So far reasonably peaceful. Then came a whole procession of middle aged
people which included the police, firemen, tour operators and reasonably normal
people. They took about 40 minutes to pass us by.

It always seems to start like this like the lull before the
storm. And we were right in the
epicentre of it all. Sitting taking pictures and videos. Right alongside the
road outside the parliament, the object of their fury.

The first sign of trouble was a hooded man with a club
hammer hidden beneath his coat rushed up to the huge plate glass windows of the
Athens Plaza Hotel and smash two huge walls of glass. As he tried smashing the
glass entrance doors, the concierge came rushing out and the villain kicked him
a few times before he hastily retreat back inside and then the doors were
smashed as well . The villain rejoined the throng. All this was happening not 25
metres away. We had ringside seats.

The mood turned much uglier as the younger crowd of thugs
with balaclavas, helmets, dust masks and finally tear gas masks came into view.
Most carrying Iron bars and shortened scaffolding poles ready to confront
whatever was going to stand in their path.

Discretion being the better part of valour, Dyana & I
moved slightly away from exactly where the trouble was definitely going to take
place. So we moved about 25 yards further back down one of the side streets, but
still with a good view of the area, or in Roman terms, the Coliseum Arena.

Suddenly lines of white helmeted police in full riot gear
snaked their way on both sides of the troublemakers boxing them into the road.
The column of marchers was halted. Then it all started with a puff of black
smoke followed really quickly by the sound of tear gas being fired into the
crowd and the crowd responding with whatever they could . We watched for a
couple of minutes, from our relatively safe vantage point and then left them to
it. Time to do something else.

The rest of the day passed really quickly and at night, we
left the curtains open watching the top of the Acropolis. Just the way they lit
the Parthenon and other temples was just so romantic.