Greek islanders strike as migrant camp row intensifies

Lesbos Island: The Greek islands of Lesbos, Chios and Samos staged a general strike Wednesday, as protests against the construction of new migrant camps intensified.

For a second day, protesters on Lesbos faced off against riot police near the town of Mantamados, close to the site of a planned camp for up to 7,000 people.

Small groups of protesters threw stones and firebombs at the police, who responded with tear gas and flash grenades.

"You're going to die here," a protester shouted as police, as others screamed obscenities at them.

"We are in a wartime situation," local priest Father Stratis said. "(The police) have the weapons, we have our heart and soul."

The regional governor's office has called a 24-hour strike, rejecting the government's plans to build the new camps to replace currently overcrowded facilities where asylum-seekers live in dire conditions. On Chios, hundreds gathered in a protest at the main square of the island's capital.