London last thursday, Rome yesterday and today Athens. A day of general strike across Greece sees protesters out in force and the inevitable happens - a third west European capital city sees riots in the space of a week. Cops have fired tear gas and flash grenades while rioters use molotovs and set fire to cars. A former transport minister has been stoned and protesters attempted to torch two luxury hotels near parliament. The economic blockade has paralyzed the country - grounding flights, shutting schools, halting public transport.
This is the seventh general strike this year following a vicious austerity programme in the wake of a European bail-out package. Unions say the strike will place further pressure on the government to pull the plug on the hugely unpopular measures. Stathis Anestis, deput leader of the GSEE, Greece's largest union, said "There is huge participation in this strike. I believe it will put pressure on the government. We want the government to take back the latest labor law that will hurt workers' rights."
According to the Telegraph: "about 200 leftist protesters chased Kostis Hatzidakis as he left parliament, shouting: "Thieves! Shame on you!" They threw stones and beat him with sticks, until he took flight into a nearby building."
Chron.com reports "Youths wearing black masks and ski goggles used sledgehammers to smash paving stones and hurled the rubble at police. A central post office near parliament briefly caught fire as employees and bystanders ran for safety."
Watch this space for further reports.
According to the Telegraph: "about 200 leftist protesters chased Kostis Hatzidakis as he left parliament, shouting: "Thieves! Shame on you!" They threw stones and beat him with sticks, until he took flight into a nearby building."
Chron.com reports "Youths wearing black masks and ski goggles used sledgehammers to smash paving stones and hurled the rubble at police. A central post office near parliament briefly caught fire as employees and bystanders ran for safety."
Watch this space for further reports.
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