Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 27 February 2020
Greek islanders attack riot police in migrant camp protests

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS it can be done best. It's the
Associated Press only plan we have on the
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — table," he said.
Greece's government Local authorities de-
hoped to defuse tensions clared a 24-hour strike and
after protests over plans for staged large protest rallies
new migrant camps on two Wednesday on Lesbos and
of its islands Wednesday Chios. H
turned into violent clashes Lesbos, and to a lesser ex-
between police and local tent Chios, annually re-
residents, some armed with ceive tens of thousands of
Molotov cocktails and shot- people fleeing war or pov-
guns. erty in the Middle East, Asia
Hundreds of residents at- and Africa. The migrants
tacked police officers cross from the nearby Turk-
guarding the sites of the ish coast in small, unsea-
future detention camps on worthy boats provided by
the islands of Lesbos and smuggling gangs.
Chios. A large crowd later Under a 2016 deal between
laid siege for hours to a the European Union and
Lesbos army camp where Turkey, migrants reaching
riot-control squads were the islands must stay there
billeted. until their asylum requests
Dozens of police officers A protester throws a petrol bomb against riot police during clashes in Diavolorema near the area are processed — and if
were injured during the where the government plans to build a new migrant detention center, on the northeastern Aegean these are rejected they
island of Lesbos, Greece, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.
unrest, and the Greek gov- Associated Press must be taken back by Tur-
ernment's spokesman said key.
many of the riot police de- injured on Lesbos, which lands are a main entry preparatory work was com- But delays in the asylum
ployed to the islands this sees the most arrivals as point for migrants seeking pleted on the proposed process, coupled with in-
week would be pulled out. migrants cross the sea from better lives in the European detention center construc- creased migrant flows,
Government migration of- nearby Turkey. Two had Union. Managing the flow tion sites. placed massive strains on
ficials have vowed to press leg wounds from shotgun of people — and growing "The first phase was com- the system and led to a
ahead with plans to re- blasts, officials said. discontent among island pleted on Lesbos today sharp deterioration of liv-
place overcrowded and Another nine officers were residents —has become and will be completed to- ing conditions in existing
squalid migrant camps with injured on Chios, where an the main challenge for the morrow on Chios, and po- camps whose populations
more restrictive detention angry mob burst into a ho- center-right government of lice will have no reason to burgeoned — despite
centers. But local officials tel used by riot police, beat Greek Prime Minister Kyria- stay there," Petsas told pri- Greek authorities moving
and residents oppose the up officers resting in their kos Mitsotakis. vate broadcaster Alpha people judged as vulner-
plans, with many demand- rooms and threw out their Mitsotakis invited regional TV. "Some of those that able to the mainland. Fur-
ing that no migrants should belongings. and local officials for talks were sent from Athens will thermore, returns to Turkey
remain on the islands. One man was arrested on in Athens on Thursday. return, and the rest will stay have been negligible.
Local authorities declared suspicion of involvement Government spokesman in place." Lesbos, with a permanent
a 24-hour strike and staged in the attack and another Stelios Petsas said police But he insisted that the population of 85,000, now
large protest rallies that de- was being sought. Police showed "unprecedented planned centers would be has more than 21,000 mi-
volved into the violence said 10 protesters were in- restraint" during the clashes built. grants according to the lat-
Wednesday. Greek officials jured on both islands. and riot squad members "The plan will go ahead est official data available
said 43 police officers were Greece's Aegean Sea is- would be recalled once and we need to see how Wednesday.q
UN: Rival Libyan politicians meet for peace talks in Geneva

By ISABEL DEBRE east and west of the coun- delegation. “We stress our
Associated Press try, and a patchwork of agreement to choosing
CAIRO (AP) — Rival Libyan armed groups that support the group of additional
politicians met on Wednes- either administration. representatives...to ensure
day for U.N.-sponsored In the wake of intensified it represents a cross section
political talks in Geneva international diplomatic of Libyan society,” said the
aimed at ending the latest efforts, the U.N. launched High Council of State letter.
round of fighting over the three parallel tracks of ne- The declared cease-fire
country’s capital, Tripoli. gotiations to push a cease- deal, now under review by
Yet just hours later, the High fire and resolve various Libya’s competing lead-
Council of State, an adviso- crises in war-torn Libya. It’s ers, addresses the return of
ry body to the western Trip- an uphill battle in a coun- thousands of displaced ci-
oli-based government, sent try with competing political vilians to Tripoli. But it makes
a letter to the U.N. mission structures. no mention of key points
demanding that talks be In this May 21, 2019 file photo, Tripoli government forces clash Disagreements over the of contention, such as the
suspended until “concrete with forces led by Field Marshal Khalifa Hifter, south of the capital delegate list for Wednes- withdrawal of eastern-
progress is made” in ongo- Tripoli, Libya. day’s talks swiftly surfaced, based forces or the demo-
ing military negotiations. Associated Press as rival officials objected bilization of formidable mi-
In the east of the country, of Representatives also re- participants. Power in Lib- to the last-minute inclu- litias loosely allied with the
the spokesperson for the quested a postponement ya is divided between two sion of several indepen- U.N.-supported Tripoli gov-
rival Tobruk-based House and said it would pull its rival governments, in the dent politicians in the Tripoli ernment. q