The mostly unchecked activities of an increasingly violent group of self-styled anarchists, centred mostly in the greater Athens area, continued on Sunday, as a major retail store along the Greek capital's main northern commercial thoroughfare was vandalized.
The mostly unchecked activities of an increasingly violent group of self-styled anarchists, centred mostly in the greater Athens area, continued on Sunday, as a major retail store along the Greek capital's main northern commercial thoroughfare was vandalized.
The attack against the Leroy Merlin outlet off Kifissias Avenue, in the Maroussi district, was the second time the specific retailer has been targeted by the notorious "Rouvikonas" group, billed as an "anarchist collective".
In a written statement on Sunday evening, the multinational refuted the group's claim - posted on the Internet - that it enforces a nine-hour work day for its employees, the reason cited the group for the vandalism.
The early morning incident witnessed more than a dozen people wielding sledge hammers and other items to break the store glass fronts of the store, before entering and causing further damages.
The press release reads:
"The excuse for the 2nd attack in a row is the false news that Leroy Merlin enforces a 9 hour working day on its employees. This is a false accusation and a distortion of reality. Leroy Merlin states that all the company’s employees will work for 8 hours per day and it never requested its employees to accept a 9-hour contract... we are hoping that the Authorities will help protect enterprises that invest in Greece and contribute to the economic development of the country."