Hundreds of thousands of Greeks march against austerity
Source: Guardian
General strike brings country to a halt in first confrontation with three-month-old government
Hundreds of thousands of anti-austerity protesters took to the streets of Greece on Wednesday as the country was paralysed by a general strike in the first mass confrontation with Athens's three-month-old coalition government.
In one of the biggest demonstrations in the capital in recent years, as many as 200,000 marched on the Greek parliament, according to unions in the public and private sector, which called the strike to oppose new wage and pension cuts – the price of further rescue funds from international lenders.
Clashes broke out between riot police and hooded youths hurling rocks and petrol bombs at the finance ministry. The protesters, many shouting: "We can take no more. Out with the EU and IMF," and said to be part of the crisis-hit country's vibrant "anti-establishment" movement, then set light to rubbish cans and bus stops, sending plumes of acrid smoke above the capital. TV footage showed demonstrators running for cover in Syntagma Square, seat of the Greek parliament, as noxious fumes filled the air. More than 100 people were detained.
With tensions running high over the new measures – part of a mammoth €11.9bn austerity package that is set to save the state more than 5% of GDP over the course of the next two years – unions are warning that the conservative-led government should take stock or worse could come.
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Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/26/thousands-greeks-march-against-austerity
= new reply since forum marked as read
IMF is now demanding that other EU members ("tax payers"
write of Greek debt - so that Greece don't default all debt and stop paying IMF. Remember, after IMF was kicked out from Latin America it nearly died because of no income from debt interests. It may show happy face about Iceland, but it gets no income from Iceland which refused to stay in thrall to IMF.
Did you hear btw what Spanish people occupying parliament are demanding? Government stepping down, new elections and new constitution.
