Rock throwing as Chlorakas residents call for migrant deportations (protest)

Police had to intervene when an anti-migrant protest by Chloraka residents turned violent on Sunday afternoon.

There was rock-throwing between some of the villagers and third-country nationals who happened to be in the area, media reported. The incident lasted a few minutes before officers restored the order.

Dozens of locals from Chlorakas gathered on Eleftherias street, outside the Hellenic bank of the village at 6pm to protest the “uncontrolled settlement of foreigners” in their community.

According to their announcement, the protest is “against the uncontrolled settlement of foreigners, ghettoization and delinquency”.

Residents are calling for “the restoration of a sense of security” in their community, deportations of migrants and for the state to stop accepting other asylum applications.

They have held similar anti-migrant protests in the past.

Following the villagers complaints, authorities ordered that third-country nationals, including Syrian refugees, residing in a specific apartment complex in Chloraka would be relocated. The decision came after the building’s residents protested over the lack of electricity and water supply. Local government said the power was cut because tenants had been stealing it from the electricity authority.

The so-called relocation operation was completed on Tuesday, when services recorded the details of 81 people, after checking 250 apartments. Of them, 22 were taken to Kofinou reception centre.

Another 150 were evicted on Monday.

But it is understood a larger number of people were residing in the building complex, some of whom are thought to have fled before police got there.