The Police was called out to intervene at the Esphigmenou Monastery at Karies on the northern part of the Athonite peninsula, where violence broke out between the monastery’s old and new brotherhoods.

The new tenants have filed an injunction against the old tenants, who have stated that they are determined to stay put, despite injunction and police intervention.

The dispute quickly escalated to violence, with reports indicating that one monk was lightly injured in the fracas. A monk from the old tenants threw a rag on fire to stop the police from breaking down the door.