NVDL: This unrest was sparked by a policeman killing a teenager. It is mostly the youth that are venting their anger. We saw this sort of behaviour in France not a long time ago. It is this sort of angry response to the economy that we can expect the world over. People feel uncomfortable, worried, troubled and enraged that they can no longer be 'consumers'. The psychology of 'something for nothing' is very strong, so more and more people feel so justified in their anger, they feel they have a right to take what they want by any means - including violence.
Governments then are faced with a difficult choice - do they deploy the military and police against their own people in the name of maintaining order, thereby escalating the levels of violence? Very tough scenario. We experienced the same recently in South Africa during the waves of so-called Xenophobia-Violence.
On Monday night, rioting youths took control of central Athens and set fire to the huge Christmas tree. More than 130 shops have already been destroyed in the capital, dashing retailers' hopes that Christmas would compensate for Greece's darkening economic outlook.
The shooting of Grigoropoulos kindled smoldering anger among Greek youths, resentful at a widening gap between rich and poor.
The 15-year-old boy's killing on Saturday night has fanned public anger at unpopular economic policies and scandals as the global financial crisis reaches Greece.
Thousands of protesters burned and looted shops in central Athens and tear gas choked Syntagma Square outside the Greek parliament as police clashed with left-wing demonstrators on Monday.
More than 50 people have been hurt and scores of shops, banks and cars damaged. Police arrested about 150 people, some for looting.
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