ATHENS – After some 2,000 young people ignored what's left of health restrictions in an essentially-lifted COVID-19 lockdown to hold a wild party on a beach in the neighborhood of Glyfada, the Mayor said their parents should “take personal responsibility,” for what turned into a fracas.

Giorgos Papanikolaou told Mega TV that “More than 60 umbrellas and the trash cans were torched, and objects were lobbed at the police and firefighters who arrived at the scene,” on the beach.

“It’s a double disappointment… They weren’t wearing masks, or physically distancing. The second thing that has upset us was that they showed such an enormous lack of respect for our work,” he said.

They set fire to dozens of thatched beach umbrellas and trash cans that had just been installed with people returning en masse to the beach, setting aside any pretense of obeying health measures.

When the police and firefighters arrived the crowd was rough and defiant and didn't retreat from aggressive behavior, instead attacking the responding authorities, he also said.

“The majority of the youngsters were minors and we’re appealing to their families to step up and take personal responsibility,” Papanikolaou added.

“We organized the beach at Easter and told people to come to the seaside rather than gathering at public squares… The beach is free access and we want it to stay that way,” he also said.