A Co Donegal doctor said “her life was at risk” during an attack by a group of men in Lesbos in Greece.
Victoria Bradley was one of a number of Irish doctors volunteering in the Moria refugee camp who were attacked by a group of up to 50 men yesterday.
The men were armed with makeshift weapons, as violent clashes continue to spread across the island.
Dr Bradley told RTÉ’s News at One that the attackers do not want NGOs on the island, as she said they believe that this is encouraging refugees to come to Lesbos.
“Our car was stopped by about 60 men. They were carrying sticks, some with nails sticking out of them. They wouldn’t let us pass.”
Dr Bradley was a passenger in one of eight cars travelling in convoy.
“They kicked my window in and tried to kick me in the head. All hell broke loose, they were hitting car with rocks, and our windscreen smashed,” she said.
She said her’s was one of three cars that “managed to stay together and got back to the refugee camp”.
She added that the other cars had to drive around “for about two hours because they couldn’t find anywhere safe to stop”.
Dr Bradley said she is one of a number of doctors who have decided to leave the camp, for their personal safety. But she said the natives of the island “have lost their livelihoods”.
“The situation is not tenable. About 20,000 refugees are now in Lesbos; 400 arrived yesterday. The local people have lost their livelihoods. It’s wrong what happened yesterday but the islanders are overwhelmed. They can’t cope with the refugees. The refugees have no choice but to leave where they’re leaving.”
Dr Bradley said she “feels guilty” about leaving, because she said they are “leaving the refugees with no doctors” but she said if the protesters had got her and her colleagues out of their cars yesterday, “it would have been difficult to say the least”.
She said they have made the decision to come home now, as they are concerned that protesters will block roads to the airport.
“Yesterday they blocked roads and stopped cars to see if the people inside were Greek. And if you weren’t, there was trouble.”
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