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Protests Over Iran's Election Hit Paris, Rome, Toronto and New York

The post-election riots in Iran are not limited to Tehran. Several major European cities (in full summer tourism swing) and a few here in North America have seen their own protests recently.

Rallies and protests took place yesterday in Paris, Toronto, New York, London and Berlin over the controversial election, which supporters of candidate Mir-Hossein Moussavi claim has been rigged by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Indeed, the protests outside of Tehran have already made it into a Wikipedia entry.

CNN's iReport captured the protest yesterday in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower. Several hundred thousand protesters gathered in Mel Lastman Square in Toronto yesterday afternoon while in New York Moussavi supporters rallied outside the United Nations. Students also protested in Rome and you can see some Flickr shots here.

Meanwhile in Tehran, a pro-Mousavi rally turned deadly when militia members fired on the crowd, killing one demonstrator. Despite this, another demonstration is planned for Tehran tomorrow.

Related Stories:
· Top Cleric Calls for Inquiry as Protesters Defy Ban in Iran [NY Times]
· iReport: Paris Portests [CNN]

[Photo: kappazeta]

Tags: War on Christmas / Riots / Crime / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Greek Rioters Still Trying To Ruin Christmas

And you thought the anarchists had given up: Riots that were touched off by the killing of a teenager earlier this month, but were more broadly caused by economic concerns and growing dissatisfaction with the government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis flared up again today in Athens. After breeching security at the Acropolis earlier this week and continuing to chuck molotov cocktails at police, today rioters attempted to burn down Athens' new Christmas tree--new because they torched the old one last week.

Just days ago, Athens seemed poised for recovery. But today, police are again warning holiday shoppers and tourists away from downtown, partly because the teenage son of a teacher's union official was shot in the hand Wednesday night. The UK's Foreign Office recommends avoiding downtown as well. For its part, the US State Department is staying mum on conditions on the ground in Greek capital.

After the jump, four very different video looks at the December riots, now in their 13th day.

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Tags: Riots / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Tourists Reappear as Riots Abate in Athens, But Tension Remains

It's been eight days since the killing of a 15-year-old boy by police in Athens touched off riots across the country, and things are finally starting to calm down. The AP reports that open-topped buses filled with tourists have returned to the city's famous historical sights, while the bars and cafes in the Thissio district, with its sweeping views of the Acropolis, are once again packed with patrons. The scene was quite different a week ago, when angry youths clad in red-and-black - some of whom identified themselves as anarchists - took to the streets to protest the killing by overturning garbage cans, looting stores, and scuffling with police. While most Greeks deplore the violent tactics of the rioters, a significant number of citizens have legitimate grievances against the government, not only about the police shooting, but a host of economic and social issues as well. It's sad to think that the country that created the basic fundamentals of philosophy and rule of law could degenerate so dramatically. Perhaps the rioters and government officials both need to take a tour through the Parthenon and other ancient centers of Greek justice, democracy, and scholarship for a reminder of the heights their nation was once able to reach, and ought to aim for again.

[Photo: destination360.com]

Related Stories:
· Greece Calm After 8 Days of Riots [USA Today]
· Democracy in Athens Temporarily On Hold [Jaunted]
· Riot Coverage [Jaunted]

Tags: Adventures of Link / Dangerous Travel / Riots / → All Tags

Democracy In Athens Temporarily On Hold

OMG, Greece! The land of dank tavernas, crumbling temples and ouzo pounding, cigarette huffing Paris Hilton exes is going absolutely bananas right now, after the funeral of the 15-year-old shot by police Saturday.

Gangs of red-and-black-clad anarchists are roving the streets of Athens, smashing windows and chucking molotov cocktails at cops, while smaller interest groups are using the unrest to rally for their pet causes. Some rioters even burned the city's Christmas tree, a total dick move.

While tourists were spared the full force of the violence until now--at least as long as they stayed indoors--the riots are now touching everyone: A strike will completely shut down all airports in the country Wednesday, and hotels came under heavy assault on Monday. The brutes didn't even spare a life-sized diorama of The Nutcracker!

Related Stories:
· Greece Riots: People Have Lost Faith in Government [Guardian]
· Funeral Leads to More Mayhem [NYT]
· As Riots Continue, Greece Faces Mounting Political Crisis [IHT]
· Greek Riots: Airport Strikes Add to Misery [Telegraph]
· Anarchist Riots in Athens, Thessaloniki Keeping Tourists On Their Toes [Jaunted]

[Photo: xamogelo]

Tags: Dangerous Travel / Riots / Music Travel / Pete Wentz / → All Tags

Dangerous Travel: This Ain't a Scene, It's a Punk Brace

Danger to those who would wear dark eyeliner and ironic sneakers! In middle America, "emo" is what you declare yourself to be because your parents can never understand the pain in your soul. In Mexico, it's license for a culo-kickin'.

And while the idea of emo teens getting chased by angry mobs of punk rockers is funny in theory, it's a terrifying spectacle when hundreds of kids riot in Mexico City and the central state of Queretaro.

It's not clear what's motivating attacks, the comments of newscasters (see above), a possible connection to Latino homophobia or an an economic downturn. But this footage is seriously scary!

Look, tight black jeans and asymmetrical hairstyles may not be our idea of a good time, but this is some kind of morbid overreaction--not to mention ill-timed for thousands of Americans headed over the border for Spring Break fun. Can we get Pete Wentz over to the UN?

Related Stories:
· Emos Attacked in Mexico and Chile [Gadling]
· Dangerous Travel coverage [Jaunted]