Romanos in prison after hunger strike

Romanos was on hunger strike for 31 days over authorities' refusal to grand him an educational furlough to attend classes at a Greek technical college. His hunger strike had sparked riots in Athens and other Greek cities as it coincided with the 6th anniversary of the killing of Alexis Grigoropoulos.

Alexis Grigoropoulos was shot dead on December 6th 2008 by a policeman in downtown Athens. Grigoropoulos was only 15 at the time. The murder sparked waves of demonstrations and rioting across Greece particularly among the younger generation. Every year, the anniversary is marked by marches in Grigoropoulos's memory. Romanos was a childhood friend of Grigoropoulos and was with him the night he was killed. He has since become an avowed anarchist, who was later arrested for armed robbery.