Greek police arrested two individuals on Friday in connection with a 2010 firebomb attack on a Marfin bank branch in Athens, an incident that resulted in the deaths of three employees trapped inside.
The arrests mark the first time suspects have been identified in the May 5, 2010, attack, which occurred during a general strike protesting the Greek government's austerity measures. The victims included one man and two women, one of whom was pregnant. They became trapped after protesters hurled firebombs at the building.
According to reports, when the victims escaped to a balcony, overcome by smoke, some in the crowd below shouted for them to be left to burn because they were working during the strike. Firefighters' access to the scene was also delayed by the large protest gathering.
Greece's Minister for Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, stated that democracy "wins in the end" through vindication and the administration of justice, adding that "there cannot be a crime, the taking of a life, without the administration of justice."
The Marfin bank attack occurred early in Greece's prolonged financial crisis. The nation experienced a nearly decade-long economic downturn that led to significant austerity measures, including deep cuts to pensions and wages, in exchange for international bailouts. The crisis resulted in a quarter of the country's economy being wiped out, soaring unemployment, and widespread poverty. While the Greek economy has since seen gradual recovery, the crisis left a lasting societal impact.
Greek authorities reopened the inquiry into the deaths in 2020. Chrysochoidis also noted separate arrests made Friday in connection with a series of bomb attacks targeting members of the conservative New Democracy party, which resulted in one death and four injuries on July 1.