Thousands protest Greece austerity for second day

Thousands protest Greece austerity for second day

2011-05-27 02:53:48 GMT+7 (ICT)

ATHENS (BNO NEWS) -- Thousands of people on Thursday continued protesting against austerity measures in Athens for a second consecutive day, the Kathimerini newspaper reported.

Protesters, inspired by the recent events in Spain, chanted "thieves, thieves" and carried banners reading "What time is it? Time for them to go" in front of the parliament building. More than 10,000 people gathered in the capital's central Syntagma Square for a peaceful demonstration, while another 5,000 gathered in the center of Thessaloniki.

Thousands of people gathered in Athens and other city centers on Wednesday, following the example of "The Indignant" demonstrators in Spain. An online campaign invited people to return on Thursday to keep up the pressure on politicians over austerity measures and the quality of life in Greece.

Greece's unemployment rate went from 10.2 percent to 14.1 percent between the fourth quarters of 2009 and 2010. Last year, Greece cut salaries and pensions, while raising taxes, as the country received a bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund worth 110 billion euros ($150 billion) to avoid national bankruptcy.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-27