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Youths Hurl Rocks as Greeks Begin 2-Day Strike

20,000 march on Parliament

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 28, 2011 7:52 AM CDT

(Newser) – Greek workers launched a 48-hour general strike today to protest government austerity measures as 20,000 demonstrators headed to Parliament and another 7,000 marched in the country’s second-biggest city. Some 5,000 police guarded Athens, and while the initial protests were peaceful, things are heating up. Young people threw rocks near Greece’s finance ministry, prompting tear gas from police; in central Athens youths burned garbage bins. Strikers range from actors to casino workers to doctors, the AP reports.

With lawmakers considering a $40 billion austerity program, including new taxes on minimum-wage earners, “the government has declared war and to this war we will answer back with war,” said a protester. Meanwhile, the debate continues in Parliament as European officials push for the plan. "To those who speculate about other options,” noted one, “let me say this clearly: There is no Plan B to avoid default," the New York Times reports. But protesters argue the country’s debts aren’t theirs to cover. “We don't owe any money, it's the others who stole it,” said one.

Demonstrators throw stones at police during a demonstration in Athens on Tuesday June 28, 2011.
Demonstrators throw stones at police during a demonstration in Athens on Tuesday June 28, 2011.   (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)
Demonstrators throw back tear gas during a demonstration in Athens on Tuesday June 28, 2011.
Demonstrators throw back tear gas during a demonstration in Athens on Tuesday June 28, 2011.   (AP Photo)
Riot police take position outside the Greek Parliament prior to a demonstration in Athens on Tuesday June 28, 2011.
Riot police take position outside the Greek Parliament prior to a demonstration in Athens on Tuesday June 28, 2011.   (Dimitri Messinis)
Passengers sleep during a four-hour work stoppage by air traffic controllers at the Athens International Airport Tuesday, June 28, 2011.
Passengers sleep during a four-hour work stoppage by air traffic controllers at the Athens International Airport Tuesday, June 28, 2011.   (Thanassis Stavrakis)
Passengers change their tickets at Olympic Air's cashiers during a four-hour work stoppage by air traffic controllers at the Athens International Airport Tuesday, June 28, 2011.
Passengers change their tickets at Olympic Air's cashiers during a four-hour work stoppage by air traffic controllers at the Athens International Airport Tuesday, June 28, 2011.   (Thanassis Stavrakis)
Pedestrians cross empty rails at the train station in Athens during a strike Tuesday, June 28, 2011.
Pedestrians cross empty rails at the train station in Athens during a strike Tuesday, June 28, 2011.   (Kostas Tsironis)
Tourists from Australia sleep outside the ships during a 48-hour strike in the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Tuesday, June 28, 2011.
Tourists from Australia sleep outside the ships during a 48-hour strike in the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Tuesday, June 28, 2011.   (Petros Giannakouris)
A protester sits outside the docked ships during a 48-hour strike in the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Tuesday, June 28, 2011.
A protester sits outside the docked ships during a 48-hour strike in the port of Piraeus, near Athens, Tuesday, June 28, 2011.   (Petros Giannakouris)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
Nora_Kit
Jun 28, 2011 12:28 PM CDT
Yes, and I heard that insurance companies here in the U.S. are the ones that have insured Greece's dept, but it won't come out which company until the default happens since there are so many layers of legal jargon.  Something like AIG's too big to fail will happen.
bikpet
Jun 28, 2011 9:00 AM CDT
Slavery in its current form is irrelevant, as the slave owner must not only burden the cost of purchasing his slave, he must burden the cost of feeding, clothing and housing his slaves. Under a central banking / fractional reserve banking system, people will become willing slaves, willing to go to work to feed, clothe and house themselves”. He went on to say how a better slave is one who does not know he is a slave, or even better, one who denies being a slave at all.
brutaltruth
Jun 28, 2011 8:30 AM CDT
Cut those entitlements and the entitled revolt, Overspend to fund entitlements and the country goes broke, Pussy foot around and tensions you stoke, As the government brings down the economy on the tax-paying folk.
World • Money

 
European Union • strike • Greece • Athens • general strike • eurozone • Greece bailout • greece debt • austerity measures

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