Protests over Gaza turn violent in Athens

A protest march at the Israeli embassy in Athens has turned violent as protesters throw stones and fire bombs at riot police, and they retaliate with tear gas and stun grenades. An estimated 5,000 protesters marched from the city center to the Israeli embassy on Saturday demanding that Israel end its operation in the Gaza Strip. Police cordoned off the embassy. Most of the protesters were Palestinians, but leftist organizations and union members also joined in. Outside the embassy, anarchist youths joined the fray, targeting Greek police rather than the embassy. An Israeli flag was burned by demonstrators. The march to the embassy, located 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the city center, had passed without major incident. Some protesters threw stones at the US embassy without causing damage.