Greek authorities say 14 people were due to appear in court Thursday following their arrests during extensive clashes between members of far-right groups and participants in a counter-demonstration. Supporters of the extreme right group Golden Dawn defied a blanket police ban on demonstrations in greater Athens late Wednesday and clashed with protesters from a rival rally led by left-wing organizations that also defied the order.
On Wednesday, police detained 21 Italian nationals at Athens International Airport who allegedly traveled to Greece to attend the far-right rally. They were deported back to Italy, authorities said. The government denied claims it had relaxed the protest ban. 'There was no tolerance . Multiple police operations were carried out,' government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said.
The police, correctly, do not ask for political identity of people committing illegal acts. They do their job and arrest them,' Marinakis said.