Green authorities arrested 24 members of the far-left group known as Rubicon for allegedly storming the Environmental Ministry.
The group attempted to force their way into the ministry at around 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday and scattered various leaflets at the entrance on the ground floor of the building.
Four members of the group then made their way to the sixth floor while others hung a banner across the facade, Greek newspaper Proto Thema reports.
Police soon arrived on the scene and arrested all 24 of the activists, 19 men and five women. After being taken into custody, 20 refused to be fingerprinted.
The far-left anarchist extremist group released a statement about the incident on their website, blaming the government for not adequately preparing for the massive wildfires that swept across many parts of Greece in recent weeks.
“Whenever the state fails to meet its own ‘obligations’ in the name of which it holds power, we should ask ourselves whether and why we should continue to recognise that power,” the group stated.
Founded in 2013, the Rubicon (Greek: Ρουβίκωνας) extremist group has carried out dozens of actions over the years, including attacking the home of the CEO of the Greek toy retailer Jumbo last year, splashing paint and throwing fliers.
The group has also thrown paint and damaged the offices of newspapers Dimokratia, Estia, and Espresso. The three newspapers were later subjected to a suspected bombing in February 2021, where an explosion and subsequent fire caused damage to the outside of the building housing the offices.
While the extremist group has blamed the Greek government for the extent of the damage during the wildfires, authorities made several arrests on suspicion that some may have been caused by deliberate arson.
Police arrested one man in Illia related to arson attacks after witnesses reported him acting suspiciously. Some Greek media reports claimed that incendiary devices had also been located just north of Athens.
The storming of the Environment Ministry comes just months after far-left extremists carried out over 100 attacks in support of convicted far-left terrorist Dimitris Koufontinas that included everything from vandalism to attacks with explosives and incendiary devices.