Greece unrest: Athens clashes amid general strike

Greek riot police have fired tear gas and fought running battles with protesters, amid a 48-hour general strike that has paralysed the country.

Some protesters hurled petrol bombs and stones at the police, as a march by tens of thousands of people in central Athens turned violent.

Many Greeks are furious at the latest round of austerity proposals.

EU leaders and global finance chiefs have flown to Germany to discuss the eurozone crisis.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and senior officials from the European Central Bank and IMF.

Greece is struggling to reduce a huge government deficit amid fears it may default and set off a crisis, engulfing other eurozone countries like Spain and Italy.

The EU and IMF have demanded tough cuts in return for two bailout packages, and their meeting in Frankfurt comes days before high-level EU talks on the crisis.

Gas masks
The Greek government has so far introduced one round of austerity measures.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis


Gavin Hewitt
BBC Europe editor
At stake here is not just whether the Greek parliament can get its legislation through. Seeing the vast numbers on the street, the government ministries occupied, the violence, it has to be asked whether Greece can impose these new austerity measures.

And if it can't, will the EU and IMF go ahead with the next tranche of bailout money? Without the next 8bn euros ($11bn; £7bn) Greece will soon find itself unable to pay its bills.

But the mood has hardened here. There is less fear of default. We are not there yet but the question may have to be faced: what happens if a eurozone country refuses to take the medicine?

Mood hardens in Athens
Parliament gave its initial approval to a bill envisaging more cuts late on Wednesday.

A final vote is due on Thursday on the measures that include plans for temporary lay-offs of 30,000 public sector workers and further cuts to pensions and salaries.

But the government is struggling to convince lenders that it is cutting effectively enough, and public anger has been growing in recent weeks.

The latest strike was accompanied by huge rallies across the country organised by trade unions, who say the demonstrations are the largest this year.

More than 70,000 people gathered in Syntagma Square in central Athens, and thousands more in cities across the country.

But outside parliament in Athens, hundreds of riot police faced off against large groups of youths, and angry clashes followed.

Protesters threw smoke grenades, petrol bombs, bricks and stones at police, and fought scuffles and running battles with officers.

Some of the youths were wearing gas masks, others had scarves wrapped around their faces.

The police responded by firing stun grenades and tear gas as they formed a defensive ring around the parliament building.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• paveldunghd-Greece
• unrest:
• Athens
• clashes
• amid
• general
• strike

[abledanger01]

when the people realise they out number the money junkies 99% to 1% they stop being scared.

end the fiat money

end the fed

end the fractional reserve banking scam

end the imf

end the veto rights of the big five at the u.n

ban war

free humanity.



[TheTime4solutions]

REMEMBER it only takes 300 Greeks to save the world. May you all find your freedom soon.

[TheTime4solutions]

@jpg8700 imagine how many times they have ruined peoples lives by serving and protecting not the people but their employers the zio puppet prostitute governments. One could view it as pay back. It happens when a people have been oppressed for a while and get to a breaking point. I advocate the primary weapon Disengagement. Example just everyone stop going to work.

[rolovolo]

@jpg8700 They don't, since they can't go to sleep

[jpg8700]

I'm starting to feel bad for these police. Imagine what their lives are like. everyone hating you, trying to hurt/kill you. How do they get up in the morning?