Thessaloniki: Roma men beat 60-year-old over noise complaint, attack police

Police in Thessaloniki, Greece, arrested five Roma men aged 27 to 42 following a violent incident that began with a noise complaint. The men are accused of assaulting a 60-year-old man who objected to their disturbance and subsequently attacking police officers who responded to the scene.

The incident occurred early on August 16, 2026, in the Foinikas area. Officers were dispatched after receiving reports of a public disturbance. Upon arrival, the five men allegedly insulted and threatened the officers, refused to comply with instructions, and advanced menacingly, using physical force. During the confrontation, one of the arrested men, a 40-year-old, reportedly assisted another individual in escaping apprehension.

One police officer sustained injuries during the operation, and a police vehicle suffered minor damage. Earlier, the same group had physically assaulted the 60-year-old man who had complained about the noise. Authorities seized fifteen hunting cartridges, a speaker, an amplifier, and a mixer from the scene.

The arrested individuals have been handed over to the judicial authorities. The charges against them include violence against public officials and judicial persons, disobedience, bodily harm, threat, insult, damage to property, aiding a prisoner's escape, and disturbing public peace.