Greece's worst protests in decades have swept through more than 10 cities following Saturday's killing of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos, leaving a trail of destruction as youths looted shops and set fire to hundreds of cars, banks and businesses.
"I urge everyone: show responsibility, patience, and stop the violence that is sweeping our country these days," George Papandreou, the leader of the Socialist Party (PASOK), told a news conference in Athens.
Papandreou also called for early elections accusing the government of failing to protect the country from unrest.
Thousands took to the streets of the Greek capital on Wednesday as a nationwide strike brought the country to a halt.
The planned 24 hour strike hit public transport and flights, closing banks, schools and universities as trade union members and demonstrators gathered outside the parliament to protest government economic policies and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.
According to the official report, a police officer fired warning shots at a group of teenagers that attacked their patrol car, and the boy was accidentally shot in the chest. The officer, who fired the shots, and his partner have been arrested over the killing.
Some 6,000 people attended the teenager's funeral on Tuesday in a southern suburb. The ceremony was relatively calm but later police used tear gas to disperse youths as violence erupted outside the cemetery when groups of teenagers started throwing stones.
Earlier on Tuesday, a crowd of youths clashed with police guarding the Greek parliament in Athens. In addition, at least 70 stores and seven banks were set on fire in the northern city of Thessaloniki.
Police also used tear gas against students occupying Athens Polytechnic and the neighboring Athens Law School, located in the area where Grigoropoulos was shot dead.
Thousands took to the streets of the Greek capital on Wednesday as a nationwide strike brought the country to a halt.
The planned 24 hour strike hit public transport and flights, closing banks, schools and universities as trade union members and demonstrators gathered outside the parliament to protest government economic policies and demand the resignation of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.
