Greece Debt Strike Protests Turn Violent

Protesters are angered by spending cuts and tax rises planned in return for a EUR 110 B euro bail-out for Greece. Photo by BGNES

Protests in Athens have turned violent amid a general strike over planned austerity measures that has brought the country to a standstill.

Petrol bombs have been thrown at police who responded with pepper spray, tear gas and stun grenades, the BBC reported.

Smoke rose above the city skyline after a bank was set on fire and people were evacuated.

Protesters are angered by spending cuts and tax rises planned in return for a EUR 110 B euro bail-out for Greece.

Parliament is to vote on the measures by the end of the week.

Measures include wage freezes, pension cuts and tax rises. They aim to achieve fresh budget cuts of EUR 30 B over three years, with the goal of cutting Greece's public deficit to less than 3% of GDP by 2014. It currently stands at 13,6%.

A mass rally attended by thousands of people took place in central Athens before some protests began to turn violent

Outside parliament, a group of protesters rushed up a flight of steps, taunting MPs to come out and calling them "thieves".

Riot police forced them back with pepper spray, tear gas and stun grenades. The general strike is the third to hit Greece in as many months.

Meanwhile, the German parliament has begun considering the bail-out plan for Greece.

Chancellor Angela Merkel urged MPs to back the emergency loan package agreed by European finance ministers at the weekend.

It requires Germany to pay the largest proportion of the loans.

"Quite simply, Europe's future is at stake," she said.

The EU has agreed to provide EUR 80 B in funding - of which around EUR 22 B would come from Germany - while the rest will come from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Flights in and out of Greece stopped at midnight, and trains and ferries were not running. Schools, hospitals, and many offices are shut.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!