Greek police, anti-austerity protesters clash outside parliament

Greek police, anti-austerity protesters clash outside parliament

2012-02-08 03:37:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

ATHENS (BNO NEWS) -- Greek riot police fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse a group of thousands of demonstrators who are protesting new austerity measures outside parliament, local media reported. It comes amidst a new general strike.

According to police, some 10,000 people took part in a march organized by the country's two major unions, GSEE and ADEDY, in Athens. International lenders - the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund - demanded the new austerity measures as a condition for releasing new bailout funds.

The rallies in Athens were held in view of Tuesday's general strike, which saw the disruption of public transport services and also halted train and ferry services around the country. Many schools and banks around Greece were also closed, the Kathimerini newspaper reported.

Greece needs the money to avoid a default on its bond repayments in March. Since last year, the country has been implementing a series of harsh austerity measures, including the forced retirement of more than 27,000 civil servants, designed to reduce the country's massive public debt.

The country's main labor unions have staged repeated nationwide strikes since Athens asked the European Union and the International Monetary Fund for a bailout in 2010. In June 2011, at least 100 people were injured during clashes with riot police.

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