After the demonstrating migrants decided to return from the structure they had earlier be driven to, away from the city, on Tuesday evening, they headed to Sappho Square to spend the night. When they got there they found it surrounded by cops and ribbons and were not allowed to approach. They eventually spent the night into a solidarity structure, and in the morning they tried to go down to Sappho Square to continue their protest. There they were confronted with a mob of citizens and shop-owners who moved violently against them from the very first moment. Although the migrant themselves kept their temper and did not respond, they were hit by cops and fascists with a lot of them being injured. According to them, their cops had warned them from the day before that they were going to be attacked if they dared to return to the square. On the square there were different police units as well as the chiefs of local police who, after they first attacked the migrants themselves, they then left them in the hands of the angry mob. As expected, no arrest of the fascists was carried out, although the whole thing took place in front of the prosecutor. After the first major tension, the migrants were trapped in the middle of the square surrounded by the riot police squad for their “own safety”. Various people who came in solidarity were either removed from the police or subsequently found themselves targeted by the mob. At noon, and after long hours of being caught between the police forces, it was decided that the migrants would be transferred to the facilities of the PIKPA’s hospitality structure after a request from the cops. At least 4 people, 3 men and 1 woman, have been transferred to the hospital, with 2 being more severely beaten. PIKPA will host them for the next 3 days, time requested by the authorities to proceed with the examination of their requests. During this time, their papers will be examined to see if some procedures can be sped up. Migrants themselves declare they are determined to return to the square if they are not allowed to leave the island.
