More distraction politics

In line with the distraction theory of politics, (mentioned in the previous post) the riots in Greece are supposedly a distraction from the Mount Athos scandal.  It is claimed that the government could have stopped the riots any time it wanted, but chose not to.  I suppose that means shooting a few more people. 

However it seems strange that the police got to use guns rather than tear gas to disperse the crowd at the beginning.  But then I always did feel uncomfortable when I was working in Athens, when I saw young men in teeshirts with kalashnikovs under their arms and starbucks coffee takeaways in their hands, even though despite the fact that they were the police waiting for the annual demonstration on November 17.