During the riots in Athens on February 28, damage was caused to the archaeological monument of Olympian Zeus – the fence was damaged, marble fragments from the pavement of the ancient temple were broken, the Greek Ministry of Culture reported.
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On Friday, a huge rally was held in Syntagma Square near Parliament in memory of the 57 people killed in the Tempi train disaster in 2023. The number of participants is estimated at hundreds of thousands.
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The Greek police, after provocation by a group of unknown people, dispersed the rally, using dozens of stun grenades and tear gas, a photojournalist was injured, and the riots lasted for several hours. Hooligans hammered marble slabs on the square and stairs of hotels, threw stones at police officers.
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Rioters also climbed over the fence of the ancient temple of Olympian Zeus in the center of Athens.
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“During recent incidents at the archaeological site of the temple of Olympian Zeus, the fencing of the site was damaged, as well as marble fragments were removed from the pavement of the ancient temple, which were dragged outside the archaeological site by people who invaded the site, onto the sidewalk of Amalias Avenue. The marble fragments were found by the staff of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Athens,” the ministry said in a statement.
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Padlocks, keys, and fire extinguishers were also removed. All of them have already been replaced by Ephorate employees.
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In addition, as a result of vandalism, five of the seven storefronts of flower and souvenir shops near the Greek Parliament on Syntagma Square were seriously damaged, the storefronts need to be replaced.
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“However, the store continues to operate as usual,” the ministry said.
