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EnetEnglish.gr, 13:44 Thursday 7 March 2013
Extensive clashes near controversial goldmine
Police detain five after locals form barricades outside town of Ierissos, while former mayor says schoolchildren affected by teargas
http://antigoldgreece.wordpress.com/
There have been extensive clashes between riot police and residents of a town near a controversial planned goldmine in the northern peninsula of Halkidiki.
Earlier on Thursday, a large detachment of police was deployed to the village of Ierissos in relation to a recent nighttime arson attack on the mine, which is under development.
Clashes followed and some locals formed barricades. Five people have been detained.
On February 20, about 40 masked intruders broke into the Hellas Gold mine at nearby Skouries and torched machinery and vehicles being used to construct the open pit mine.
Residents have reported that the police made extensive use of teargas in Ierissos, firing it in front of a school while it was in operation.
A number of children were affected by the gas, a former mayor for the area said. Michalis Vlachopoulos also told Skai TV that one student suffered a head injury.
Appearing on the same television station, a police spokesperson denied that teargas was fired into the school and said that it was used only to remove a blockade that residents had erected at the entrance of the village to prevent riot police from entering.
He said the riot were police sent to assist colleagues who were carrying out a preliminary investigation into the arson attack.
According to a local website, a prosecutor, six platoons of riot police and police jeeps came from Polygyros to Ierissos as part of the investigation into the arson attack.
When locals sounded the alarm by ringing bells, a crowd gathered outside the police station. Some residents then erected barricades, setting fire to rubbish bins and tires.
Seven residents from Ierissos and Megali Panayia suspected of involvement in the arson attack have been taken into custody for identification and police are now carrying out searches of their homes.
Hellas Gold, is 95% owned by Canadian mining company Eldorado Gold Inc, which is based in Vancouver.
There has long been opposition to the prospect of the Skouries gold mine and processing plant, with some residents objecting to what they say will be the destruction of the environment and of pristine forest in the area, leading to the loss of tourism and other local activities such as farming, the rearing of livestock and fishing.
How the story unfolded on Twitter
TR @northaura The students are ok in their health. The police has searched 3 house till now. "Calmness" for now. #Skouries #rbnews— Yiannis Βaboulias (@YiannisBab) March 7, 2013
TR @northaura as a result, 1 student was injured lightly & some had to be taken to the infirmary with breathing problems. #Skouries #rbnews— Yiannis Βaboulias (@YiannisBab) March 7, 2013
TR @northaura The police chased locals. When they reached the school, they shot tear-gas around and inside the courtyard. #Skouries #rbnews— Yiannis Βaboulias (@YiannisBab) March 7, 2013
TR @northaura Trouble started when police attempted to search 5 houses. Locals reacted with road-blocks. #Skouries #rbnews— Yiannis Βaboulias (@YiannisBab) March 7, 2013
#Greece Fully armed policemen enter homes to conduct house searches now in Ierissis via @doleross #Skouries #rbnews— Theodora Oikonomides (@IrateGreek) March 7, 2013
clashes in #skouries ongoing anti-gold mining&irrational citizens detention protests;reports for police using teargas in/outside school yard— spyros gkelis (@northaura) March 7, 2013
Greek police denying they fired tear gas during attack on high school. Eye witnesses say differently.Another attempt to Photoshop the truth— teacherdude (@teacherdude) March 7, 2013
In Ierissos in Northern #Greece and in a court room in Athens, the country slides further into social deterioration— Yiannis Mouzakis (@YiannisMouzakis) March 7, 2013
15 y/o hit in the head with a tear gas round fired by police in a high school in Ierissos, centre of anti-mine protests #Skouries #Greece— teacherdude (@teacherdude) March 7, 2013
TR “@tetradio: Greek police says no tear-gas used in school. Student on SKAI 100.3 says 4 were [thrown inside the courtyard].” #skouries— Yiannis Βaboulias (@YiannisBab) March 7, 2013
#Greece: Police besieges village, teargasses school sfy.co/s2hp #storify #skouries #rbnews #Ierissos— Asteris Masouras (@asteris) March 7, 2013
#Greece Schoolchildren panic, school evacuated now via @katerinaelikaki #skouries twitter.com/katerinaelikak… #rbnews— Theodora Oikonomides (@IrateGreek) March 7, 2013
