Tension over refugee hotspot at Schisto

Protesters demonstrating against a screening center, or hotspot, for refugees at a former military camp in northwestern Athens, were on Monday staging a rally in Keratsini, near Piraeus.

A statement signed by residents of Piraeus attacked the government’s decision to establish a center for illegal immigrants at Schisto without any prior consultation with locals.

Several members of Greece’s neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn, including MP Ilias Kasidiaris, were reportedly participating at the rally.

At the same time, human rights activists were protesting in solidarity with migrants and refugees.

In a statement, the United Movement Against Racism and the Fascist Threat (KEERFA) welcomed migrants and asylum-seekers in Keratsini, adding that protests against the refugee facility were orchestrated by Golden Dawn.

Police presence was strong in the area.