Sharjah24 – AFP: Greek police said an officer received serious head injuries as clashes broke out Tuesday evening at a protest of some 5,000 people in Athens against police violence.

Two other officers were also hurt at the demonstration, which follows an uproar over viral video footage that showed an officer beating a man with a baton Sunday during a patrol to enforce a coronavirus lockdown.

An photographer at the scene of Tuesday's protest said clashes broke out after a group of around 200 masked protesters headed towards the police station in Nea Smyrni, the calm southern Athens suburb where Sunday's beating had taken place.

Dustbins were set ablaze as the demonstrators threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at a police station, AFP reported. Police responded with tear gas and water cannon.

The protest followed months of anger in the Greek media and among campaigners over numerous high-profile cases of alleged police brutality at student and left-wing protests.

Police said the badly injured officer, who was seen being dragged off his motorbike and beaten by protesters. 

He was rushed to hospital and the ANA news agency reported that his life was not in danger. Ten protesters were detained, police said.