GREECE: Police fire teargas to disperse protesters throwing petrol bombs as demonstrations turn violent in Athens

Record ID: 702427

  • Title: GREECE: Police fire teargas to disperse protesters throwing petrol bombs as demonstrations turn violent in Athens
  • Date: 7th November 2012
  • Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (NOVEMBER 7 2012) (REUTERS) THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT TEAR GAS LANDING AMONG PROTESTERS TEAR GAS EXPLODING AMONG PROTESTERS, PROTESTERS THROWING PETROL BOMBS PROTESTER THROWING PETROL BOMB, POLICE USING WATER CANNON POLICE CHARGING, PETROL BOMBS LANDING NEAR POLICE VARIOUS OF PETROL BOMBS EXPLODING POLICE USING WATER CANNON PROTESTERS HURLING PETROL BOMBS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS THROWING PETROL BOMBS AT POLICE, WATER CANNON BEING USED STREET ON FIRE PETROL BOMBS EXPLODING AMONG POLICE CROWD MOVING AWAY FROM TEAR GAS
  • Embargoed: 22nd November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Greece
  • Country: Greece
  • Topics: Crime,Economy,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA74X09O5G8OHF35RMQ6WXHNADW
  • Story Text: Greek police fired teargas to disperse protesters throwing petrol bombs and stones outside parliament, where lawmakers were due to vote on a package of deeply unpopular austerity cuts on Wednesday (November 7).
    The violence came as thousands of Greeks marched to the main square outside parliament in protest against the spending cuts and reforms essential to unlocking further aid for the country.
    Tens of thousands of Greeks shouting anti-government slogans flooded into the main square before parliament on Wednesday, in a massive show of anger against lawmakers due to narrowly pass an austerity package to win aid from lenders.
    Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is expected to barely eke out a win for the budget cuts, tax hikes and labour reforms in the parliamentary vote late on Wednesday evening, despite opposition from a small party in his conservative-liberal coalition.
    As evening fell, Greeks holding flags and banners reading "It's them or us!" and "End this disaster!" packed the main square before parliament. More than 70,000 protesters poured into the streets of Athens in one of the largest rallies in months, police said.
    Public transport was halted, schools, banks and government offices were shut and garbage was piling up on streets on the second day of a two-day nationwide strike, called to protest against the vote.
    A 'no' vote could spell bankruptcy for Greece and disaster for Samaras's fragile coalition, which fought off an early challenge by the opposition SYRIZA party to block the 500-odd page bill by forcing a vote on its constitutionality.
    Backed by the leftist opposition, unions say the measures will hit the poor and spare the wealthy, while deepening a five-year recession that has wiped out a fifth of the country's output and driven unemployment to a record 25 percent.
    Samaras has said the package will comprise the last cuts to wages and pensions. But that is cold comfort for many Greeks, whose living standards have plunged in repeated deficit-slashing schemes that have hit wage earners and retirees hardest.
    END
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