Athens, Greece ? Rioting youths in the Greek capital attacked a police station, stores and banks and fought running battles with police late Saturday, authorities said, as violent protests against a police killing continued for the eighth straight day.

The clashes broke out as candlelight vigils were being conducted to mark a week since the police shooting of a 15-year-old boy, which triggered the riots that are threatening the stability of the government.

At 1 a.m. local time, police suddenly charged a peaceful vigil in central Athens’ Syntagma Square where a crowd of several hundred people had refused to back off its position near Parliament.

The protesters retreated but the tense confrontation continued.

Youths — some on foot, others riding motorcycles — attacked a police station with petrol bombs in central Athens as well as at least three banks, several stores and a government building, police said.

Several hundred protesters set up burning barricades and attacked police with rocks and flares. Riot police fired tear gas and chased the youths through parts of the city. The protesters chanted “murderers out” and used laser pointers to target police for attack.

Violence has wracked Greece every day since the death of teenager Alexandros Grigoropoulos. The riots in cities throughout the country has left at least 70 people injured. Hundreds of stores have been smashed and looted, and more than 200 people have been arrested.

While most of the protesters have been peaceful, the tone of the demonstrations has been set by a violent fringe. And more young people have been willing to join those fringe elements than in the past.

Hundreds of school children holding candles gathered peacefully Saturday outside parliament and at the site where teenager was shot. At the latter site, hundreds of masked self-styled anarchists gathered among the largely peaceful crowd and, as they left, clashed with riot police who fired tear gas to clear the area.

Some of the rioters entered the National Technical University nearby and pelted police with rocks and flares.

Outside parliament, demonstrators left candles spelling out the name “Alex” in front of a line of riot policemen. The young protesters promised to remain on the streets until their concerns — including opposition to increasingly unpopular government and worry over economic issues — are addressed.

“Speaking as an anarchist, we want to create those social conditions that will generate more uprisings and to get more people out in the streets to demand their rights,” said 32-year-old protester Paris Kyriakides.

Earlier Saturday, a crowd of about 1,000 people attended a peaceful sit-down demonstration in Athens and another 1,000 demonstrated in the northern city of Thessaloniki.