Police arrest 15 for blocking construction of Athens’ first mosque

Greek police cleared a site allocated for Athens’ first official mosque on Friday, months after it had been taken over by self-proclaimed “patriots” who blocked construction work.

Greek police cleared a site allocated for Athens’ first official mosque on Friday, months after it had been taken over by self-proclaimed “patriots” who blocked construction work.

Petros Souretis, general manager of Intrakat — the company responsible for the construction of the mosque — told Anadolu Agency building work would begin now that the standoff had ended. 

According to police sources, on early Friday morning officers arrested 15 people who had turned the site into a shelter they said would be strictly for the Greek homeless.

Those arrested have been charged with disrupting domestic peace after the Greek state filled a lawsuit against them, police said.