Clashes broke out between protesters and MAT riot police at around 2pm on Wednesday as tens of thousands of striking workers marched to parliament in the country's biggest anti-austerity rally in months.
Clashes broke out between protesters and MAT riot police at around 2pm on Wednesday as tens of thousands of striking workers marched to parliament in the country's biggest anti-austerity rally in months.
Police fired teargas as a minority of protesters threw stones and petrol bombs against them.
The clashes started outside the Athens Plaza hotel on Syntagma Square.
Firefighters rushed to the square to put out a fire that had broken out in the National Gardens during the clashes. A kiosk was set on fire by a group of hooded men.
The two main umbrella trade union organisations representing workers in the private and public sectors, the General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE) and the civil servants' union federation ADEDY, have declared a 24-hour nationwide strike in protest against the finalisation of the new package of austerity measures.
Participating in the strike are municipality employees and civil servants, staff in state-run public utilities, teachers, doctors and hospital staff, as well as merchants, lawyers, civil engineers and bank employees. Tax office, customs and finance ministry staff launched a three-day strike on the same day.
The parliamentary groups of the Communist Party (KKE) and the Independent Greeks walked out of parliament on Wednesday in a show of support for the working people.
Source http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/58323
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