Fears of a rise in racism in Greece sent thousands of immigrants on to the streets of Athens last night in response to last week's attacks by a gunman who killed two people and injured eight, Helena Smith reports.
The protesters, led by an array of human rights organisations, chanted "Silence is complicity" as they marched through the streets where the gunman opened fire. Greek authorities have been accused of actively encouraging xenophobia with tough anti-immigrant measures, including police raids. "The shooting spree is not an isolated incident. It reflects the alarming rise of racism in this country and Europe as a whole," said Mr Christophoros Papadopoulos of the Network of Social Support for Migrants and Refugees.
Attacks on migrants are often praised in Greece, where 47 have been killed in the past six years. Since the collapse of communism some 700,000 es immigrants have poured into the country, widely perceived as the easiest in Europe for would-be immigrants.
Appearing before an investigating magistrate this week, Mr Pandelis Kazakos, a security guard at Greece's state-run radio and television network, said he had acted out of patriotism in deciding to stage the attacks.
"I do not regret what I did. I believe that I offered a service to the homeland. The foreigners have gone too far," the 23-year-old declared in a written statement.