Asylum-seekers riot in Athens after a man falls into a canal

Protesters said the riot began when one man fell into a nearby canal after authorities told the crowd that no more applications could be submitted Saturday. Only a small number of applications can be submitted each week.

It was not immediately clear how the man fell into the canal. Police said he was injured and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. They said they were investigating the incident.

Outraged asylum-seekers began setting fire to garbage cans and throwing them into the street, and ripped branches off trees to set them alight. A smaller group threw rocks at passing cars, stopping some vehicles and banging on them with their hands. There were no reports of any passers-by being injured.

The riot lasted for about an hour, and riot police who were on standby nearby did not intervene. A fire truck extinguished the blazes.

In October, a human rights group said a Pakistani man was fatally injured when he fell into the same canal. The group, Stop the War Coalition, said that the man had been trying to escape police after immigrants queuing to submit applications clashed with authorities. Police rejected claims they had any involvement in the mans death and said they had tried to repulse an attempt by a large group of migrants to jump the queue.

Rights groups have often criticized Greeces treatment of illegal immigrants and the living conditions in detention centers.

Greece approved only 140 of the 20,692 asylum applications made in 2007, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Tens of thousands of illegal migrants enter Greece each year. Many attempt dangerous sea crossings from nearby Turkey or brave minefields to make their way in.

Greece has frequently asked for more help from the European Union to deal with the problem.