Riots erupt in Greece after 'martyr' shoots himself over debt crisis

He lived, said neighbours, an ‘everyday’ life.

But in death Dimitris Christoulas has become an extraordinary symbol of how Greeks are struggling to cope as their country falls apart under the burden of austerity measures.

On Wednesday morning, the 77-year-old former pharmacist walked into Greece’s Syntagma Square, just yards from the nation’s parliament.

 

As thousands of commuters swarmed to work, the pensioner shot himself, deciding to end his life rather than face his final years on the breadline.

His death has shocked Greece, even though the nation has already seen suicide rates increase by around 20 per cent in the past two years.

Yesterday, police clashed with demonstrators for a second day at the site where Mr Christoulas killed himself in downtown Athens.