Greece: 10 detained after paint thrown at US embassy

ATHENS, Greece – Greek police detained ten people and formally arrested two of them Monday after the U.S. Embassy in Athens was vandalized with paint.

Police said the 10 were detained after a group of people on motorbikes threw red paint at the embassy’s parking entrance at around 3:30 a.m. local time. An anarchist group known as Rouvikonas claimed responsibility for the attack in an internet post.

It cited “American imperialism” as well as Greece’s deal with neighbouring Macedonia for the latter to change its name to North Macedonia in return for NATO membership, and the recent US decision to pull out of Syria, a move it said delivers Kurdish forces there “to the semi-fascist state of Turkey.”

Rouvikonas has carried out similar paint attacks in the past against embassies, Greek state organizations and political party offices.

U.S. Ambassador to Athens Geoffrey Pyatt condemned “this morning’s silly and senseless vandalism” in a Twitter post.

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