Riot police clash with Greek demonstrators amid general strike

Riot police clash with Greek demonstrators amid general strike

2011-10-20 05:16:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

ATHENS (BNO NEWS) -- Clashes erupted on Wednesday between Greek riot police and anti-austerity demonstrators during a rally in central Athens, local media reported amid a 48-hour general strike which has paralyzed the country.

Thousands of public and private sector workers marched to the country's Parliament on Wednesday to protest a series of draft bills introducing more austerity measures. Scuffles broke out between riot police officers and hooded youths who hurled garbage bags, stones and petrol bombs at them, the Kathimerini newspaper reported on its website.

Riot police fired tear gas in response while youths tried to break through a metal barricade set up near Parliament to contain protesters on Syntagma Square. There were no reports of injuries during the clashes.

Police, who turned out in force with over 3,000 officers, estimated the turnout to be at around 75,000 people. However, some media reported numbers as high as 125,000, making this one of the biggest protest rallies in Greece in recent years.

Protest rallies were also organized in other Greek cities, including in Thessaloniki, Patra and Volos, as well as on the island of Crete. Authorities are expecting protest rallies to gain momentum on Thursday when Parliament is due to vote on the reform measures, according to the newspaper.

Earlier this month, the Greek government announced that it would miss 2011 deficit targets set as conditions of a bailout aimed at staving off bankruptcy, despite the austerity measures. It also announced that it will be cutting the jobs of up to 27,000 civil servant employees by the end of the year as part of its cost-cutting measures.

The country's main labour unions have staged repeated strikes since Athens asked the EU and the IMF for a bailout last year. In June, at least 100 people were injured during clashes with riot police.

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