Vandal strikes at NY Greek consulate
The Associated Press


NEW YORK: A brick-throwing vandal on a bicycle struck the Greek consulate in Manhattan early Wednesday.

Police said a man wearing a black hooded sweat shirt and riding a yellow bicycle threw a brick through a basement window at about 4:15 a.m. at the consulate.

The vandal also spray-painted an anarchy symbol, "Murderers" and "Alex was here" on the building. The graffiti was an apparent reference to 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos, whose recent killing by Athens police has ignited angry protests there.

The cyclist was last seen fleeing down the street, police said. No injuries were reported.

The consulate was closed as a precaution on Wednesday amid a New York Police Department investigation, said spokeswoman Polyxeni Mastroperrou. She said no one was inside the location at the time of the incident.

Police suspect the incident could be linked to three previous small-explosives attacks by cyclists at two consulates and a military recruiting center in Times Square.

Last October, two small explosive devices were tossed over a fence at the Mexican Consulate, shattering windows. A nearly identical blast occurred at the British consulate in May 2005.

In March, a hooded man on a bicycle rode up to a military recruiting center in Times Square just before dawn and set off a small explosive that shattered the front door but caused no injuries.

 http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/10/america/NA-US-Greek-Consulate-Vandalism.php