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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 18 november 2020

Police fire tear gas to break up banned gatherings in Greece

By ELENA BECATOROS loniki, causing no injuries or
Associated Press damage.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Po- Former prime minister
lice detained several doz- Alexis Tsipras, who heads
en people and fired tear the main opposition Syriza
gas in Athens Tuesday as party, posted a photo of
hundreds of protesters de- himself attending a socially
fied a ban on gatherings of distanced gathering for the
more than three people to Polytechnic Tuesday.
mark the anniversary of the "With responsibility and ob-
crushing of a 1973 student servance of health protec-
uprising against the military tion measures, this year we
junta then ruling Greece. again honored the dead
Nov. 17, the day the upris- and the struggles of our
ing was quashed, is marked people for democracy, in-
each year with wreath-lay- dependence, and justice,"
ing ceremonies at the Ath- he said in a post on social
ens Polytechnic commem- media.
orating those who died "We broke the senseless
there, followed by marches ban," he said. "Democracy
to the U.S. Embassy. The and historical memory can-
United States had backed not be quarantined."
the dictatorship that ruled Earlier in the day, Prime
Greece for seven years Protesters from the communist party-affiliated PAME union run away to avoid tear gas thrown by Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
from 1967. riot police during clashes in central Athens, on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. laid a wreath at the Athens
But the government Associated Press Polytechnic amid tight se-
banned this year's events, The annual Polytechnic ing in formation, maintain- tempt for those fighting for curity.
citing public health con- marches often turn violent, ing distance from one an- their lives in the hospitals," "Every important anniver-
cerns as the country strug- with protesters clashing other. the statement said. sary gains new meaning
gles to contain a resur- with riot police. But a later, larger gather- Authorities said about 100 through the conditions in
gence of the coronavirus Left-wing opposition par- ing by about 1,500 people people in total were de- which it is celebrated," Mit-
that is straining hospitals ties decried the ban as un- in central Athens dissolved tained across Athens. sotakis said, adding that
and leading to record constitutional, although the after police detained sev- Police were also detaining current priorities were pro-
numbers of deaths. A na- country's highest adminis- eral people and eventually protesters defying the ban tecting public health and
tionwide lockdown has trative court, the Council of used tear gas and a water in the northern city of Thes- showing solidarity with
been imposed until the end State, ruled otherwise. cannon. saloniki. Penalties range young people affected by
of the month, but authori- Three left-wing parties, in- In a statement, the Civil Pro- from 300 euros for individu- the financial crisis.
ties tightened restrictions cluding main opposition tection Ministry said police als attending a gathering Greece is under lockdown
during the Polytechnic an- party Syriza, defied the had repeatedly requested that violates the ban, to until Nov. 30 as authorities
niversary, banning gather- ban, as did other groups. the protesters disperse, to 3,000 euros for organizers struggle to contain a coro-
ings of four or more people A Communist Party-backed no avail. and 5,000 euros for orga- navirus resurgence that has
from Nov. 15-18. union held an initial brief "Those who, through their nizations who arrange the seen infections spike across
Thousands of police were gathering outside the U.S. actions, show disregard for events. the country. On Sunday,
deployed in Athens and Embassy Tuesday morn- what is happening around A small group of people Greece recorded its largest
the northern city of Thessa- ing, with about 250 people them, are displaying anti- also threw firebombs at a coronavirus death toll in a
loniki to prevent marches. wearing masks and march- social behavior and con- police station in Thessa- single day: 71. q
Hong Kong orders building inspections after deadly fire

By ZEN SOO asked the (fire services and the city's Nepalese com-
Associated Press building departments) to munity.
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong further step up inspections Hong Kong media reports
Kong authorities will inspect to eliminate serious fire said people in the restau-
2,500 older residential build- safety threats to safeguard rant were celebrating Di-
ings after a deadly fire killed people's lives and proper- wali, a major Hindu festi-
seven people in what an ty," Hong Kong leader Car- val, as well as a birthday.
elected official said may rie Lam said. Candles set soundproofing
have been an unlicensed The Sunday night fire killed materials on fire, according
restaurant operating in an seven people and injured to the reports.
apartment. 11 others. Ten people re- The building, which is in the
The fire and building de- main hospitalized, seven in Yau Ma Tei neighborhood
partments will aim to com- critical condition, the news in Kowloon, lacked a sprin-
plete the review by year- release said. The dead and kler system and people
end, a government news injured range in age from 8 were trapped in the back
release said Monday eve- to 48 years old. of the kitchen, Fire Ser- Flowers are placed at a fire site, top center with broken windows,
ning. The inspection will The apartment where the vices Department officer in Hong Kong Monday, Nov. 16, 2020.
cover buildings at least 60 fire started may have been Cheung Kwong-yuen said. Associated Press
years old and include those operating as an unlicensed Hong Kong media said the safety issues in older build- lar occurrence, but have
that are part-residential, restaurant, according to fire was the deadliest since ings in Hong Kong, one of dwindled in recent years
part-commercial. the area's district council a 2011 blaze that killed nine the world's most densely as the government imple-
"In light of the risks exposed member, Leslie Chan. He people. populated cities. Deadly mented stricter fire safety
by this fire accident, I have said the victims were from The fire highlights lingering fires used to be a regu- measures.q