GREECE: Square in front of Greek parliament turns into a battle ground as fierce clashes between protesters and riot police continue
Record ID:
708342
GREECE: Square in front of Greek parliament turns into a battle ground as fierce clashes between protesters and riot police continue
- Title: GREECE: Square in front of Greek parliament turns into a battle ground as fierce clashes between protesters and riot police continue
- Date: 30th June 2011
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JUNE 29, 2011) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS RUNNING TOWARDS POLICE LINE THROWING STONE, TEARGAS RISING TWO POLICEMEN ADVANCING TOWARDS PROTESTERS THROWING TEARGAS CANISTERS STONES HITTING POLICE SHIELDS CROWD OF PROTESTERS THROWING STONES LINE OF POLICE RETREATING CLOUD OF TEARGAS RISING ABOVE THE STREET VARIOUS PROTESTERS THROWING STONES FLASH BOMB FLYING TOWARDS PROTESTERS FLAMES AND BLACK SMOKE RISING PROTESTERS THROWING STONES POLICE HOLDING THE LINE, ROCKS HITTING THEIR SHIELDS MORE STONE THROWING PROTESTERS RUNNING TOWARDS POLICE LINE MORE TEAR GAS RISING, COVERING POLICE PROTESTERS THROWING ROCKS VARIOUS POLICE AND PROTESTERS ENGAGED IN RUNNING BATTLES PROTESTERS IN SQUARE SCATTERING MORE OF FIGHTING GREEK FLAG THREE PROTESTERS SITTING BY POLICE LINE
- Embargoed: 15th July 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece, Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Economy,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA5YC2KGNATFLQIYXG1NCSPJNG5
- Story Text: Greek police firing tear gas fought running battles with stone-throwing protesters outside parliament on Wednesday (June 29) as signs grew the government would succeed in pushing through an austerity plan demanded by creditors.
With Greece risking bankruptcy if the measures are blocked, parliament was due to vote in the afternoon on the mix of spending cuts, tax increases and privatisations to be implemented as conditions for a massive bailout by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
Tens of thousands of protesters, many of them waving Greek flags and beating drums, packed Syntagma Square outside parliament as a 48-hour general strike that began on Tuesday (June 28) brought central Athens to a standstill.
Demonstrations turned violent for a second day when a surge in the crowd overturned metal barriers, forcing back a line of riot police, who responded with flash bombs and tear gas.
Inside parliament, the government of Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou inched closer to securing the majority it needs to pass the law as a member of the conservative opposition said she would vote for the 28 billion euro (39.7 billion U.S. dollar) package.
The measures demanded by international lenders as the price for continuing to support Athens have wrought bitter resentment in a Greek population coping with the deepest recession since the 1970s and now facing years of grim austerity.
The EU and the IMF have said the entire plan must be passed this week for Greece to obtain the next, 12 billion euro (17.3 billion U.S. dollar) tranche of emergency loans under the bailout.
Greek officials have said the country needs the money by mid-July to continue paying its debts. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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