Violent clashes broke out in several Greek cities today after a 34-year-old musician described as an anti-fascist activist was stabbed to death by a man who said he belonged to the far-right Golden Dawn party.
The death of Pavlos Fyssas drew condemnation from across Greece's political spectrum and from abroad. While the extremist Golden Dawn has been blamed for numerous violent attacks in the past, the overnight stabbing is the most serious violence so far directly attributed to a member.
Golden Dawn leader Nicholas Michaloliakos denied that the party had anything to do with the stabbing.
Fyssas, a hip-hop singer whose stage name was Killah P, died in a state hospital early today after being stabbed twice outside a cafe in the Keratsini area west of Athens.
A 45-year-old man arrested at the scene admitted to attacking Fyssas and said he belonged to Golden Dawn, police said. A knife with traces of blood was found near his car. Clashes broke out yesterday evening between riot police and thousands of protesters holding anti-fascist demonstrations in Fyssas' memory in Keratsini and another three cities.
In Keratsini, police fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters who local media said had attempted to attack the police station. Demonstrators hurled rocks and gasoline bombs at riot police and set fire to dumpsters to create street barricades as passers-by fled for cover.
Similar scenes played out in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, where about 6,000 demonstrators marched. Greek media also reported violent clashes in the western city of Patras, in the northeastern city of Xanthi, in the central city of Larissa and in Chania on the southern island of Crete.
At the scene, where blood still stained the sidewalk, friends of the victim and residents left flowers and candles. The head of a small right-wing opposition party, Panos Kamenos of the Independent Greeks, was briefly assaulted by protesters when he attempted to visit the site.
Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos, whose Socialist party is part of the coalition government, said Golden Dawn had "surpassed every limit."
"Golden Dawn has violence as its priority and must be dealt with as a criminal organization," he said. Hannes Swoboda, president of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament, said Greek authorities should examine the possibility of banning the party altogether.
