ATHENS, Dec 8: A third day of street battles erupted in Greek cities on Monday as authorities fended off mounting anger over the police killing of a 15-year-old boy.

Youths attacked cars and store-fronts in Salonika, Greece’s second largest city, and clashes broke out in the central city of Trikala as students occupied universities in Athens and other major centres.

The unrest has left dozens wounded, widespread destruction and put new pressure on right-wing prime minister Costas Karamanlis. Unions and left-wing parties called rallies to protest against the death of Andreas Grigoropoulos on Saturday that sparked nationwide riots.

About 300 students and other youths attacked cars and stores in the centre of Salonika, in the north of the country now confronted by its worst civil unrest in decades.

Three police were hurt in clashes in Trikala. Dozens of youths broke off from a demonstration by about 1,000 students and attacked banks, shops and cars on the city’s main square.

They pelted a police station with stones, damaging several cars parked outside and lightly injuring three officers. Youths also attacked a police station in nearby Despotiko.

Youths who occupied university campuses in Athens and Salonika hurled rocks and petrol bombs at police through the night.

Thousands of protesters battled police in central Athens on Sunday.

As tear gas cleared from the clashes, the extent of the destruction became clear. Dozens of police and demonstrators were injured and scores of buildings, shops and cars were left charred embers.

In Athens, firefighters were called to 24 banks, 35 stores, 24 cars, 12 homes and a district office of the ruling New Democracy party which hit by a small bomb, officials said. Six police vehicles lay in ruins.

Along the main Alexandras Avenue buildings belonging to the National Bank of Greece, the Emporiki Bank and the Bank of Piraeus -- as well as supermarkets and dozens of shops -- were set on fire during the clashes.

Firebombs damaged the ruling party’s offices in Salonika and Kavala. Police buildings were attacked in Hania on the island of Crete and in the normally quiet cities of Komotini and Drama.

Several universities in Athens and Salonika were ordered closed for two days from Monday and the Greek Communist Party (KKE), with other far-left groups, said new demonstrations would be held. About 150 KKE followers staged a march through Athens.

Students plan a rally in the capita on Tuesday and a general strike planned for Wednesday has become a new focus for the radical left to show its anger.

Greek police have arrested two officer involved in the shooting of the teenager in the Athens district of Exarchia on Saturday.

Grigoropoulos was among youths who had thrown stones at a police car and was killed by shots fired during subsequent clashes with police.

One of the two officers left his vehicle to fire three times at the teenager, who was hit in the chest, witnesses said. Grigoropoulos was confirmed dead in a nearby hospital.

Epaminondas Korkoneas, 37, who allegedly fired the shots, and his partner Vassilis Saraliotis, 31, were both detained.

Demonstrations began in Athens almost straight away with news of the death and calls for action spread by text messages.

The prime minister expressed regrets in a letter to the parents of the dead teenager. “In these difficult moments please accept my condolences for the unfair loss of your son,” Karamanlis wrote.—AFP