Battle of Thessaloniki: Greek riot police blast tear gas and water cannons in bid to stop 15,000 activists protesting mandatory vaccines from reaching area where PM was delivering economic address

• Protesters gathered near the venue of Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' annual economic address
• Police fired tear gas, water cannons to disperse demonstrators who hurled flares at officers in Thessaloniki
• Demonstrators protested mandatory vaccines that began in July for health care workers, nursing home staff
• Policy has seen nearly 6,000 unvaccinated health care staff suspended and could be expanded to teachers

Greek police fired tear gas and water cannons on Saturday to break up a demonstration of thousands of people protesting against mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations.

Authorities said protesters hurled flares at police in Greece's second-biggest city of Thessaloniki, who blocked them from trying to reach the area where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to deliver his annual economic address. 

The annual speech typically attracts crowds of demonstrators, and police estimated more than 15,000 people, including labour unions, took part in the demonstrations on issues ranging from economic policy to Covid-19 vaccines.  

The protesters clashed with riot police near the venue, throwing firebombs, firecrackers and stones at police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades and gave chase to the protesters. The clashes lasted about an hour, and there were nine arrests.

There were also protest marches by unionists and the extreme left. Participants in the latter burned a US and a European Union flag, as well as electricity bills, but there was no confrontation with police. 

Greek police and protesters against mandatory vaccines clashed in Thessaloniki on Saturday outside the venue where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was due to deliver his annual economic address