Greece nationwide strike brings country to near-standstill
Protesters gather in central Athens prior to their protest march marking the 24-hour general strike on October 18, 2012.
Thousands of Greeks went on a general, 24-hour strike today, at times hurling stones and petrol bombs, News24 reported. The general strike coincides with a European Union summit in Brussels where Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is scheduled to meet with international lenders.
The strike has brought Greece to a near-standstill, with state companies and private stores closed. Train, ferry services and flights have also ground to a halt, The Standard reported.
Protest rallies began peacefully but became violent when a crowd broke away from the crowd near Syntagma Square in Athens and threw rocks, bottles and firebombs at the police, The New York Times reported. The riot police dispersed the crowd with tear gas. Many demonstrators also shouted insults at the police: “You’re criminals, selling out your country for 600 euros a month,” one man screamed, according to the Times. Police estimated that 35,000 people took part in the demonstration, The Wall Street Journal reported.
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One 65-year-old protester suffered a heart attack and died during the demonstration, the Associated Press reported. Protest organizers said that he suffered the attack before any rioting broke out. Another four demonstrators were reportedly injured after being hit by police.
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The riots come as the government is negotiating a new austerity package with debt inspectors from the EU, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank, with a plan to save $14.4 billion and raise an extra $3.3 billion through more taxes, the AP reported. But unions say the austerity measures are too much, as the Greek economy is a quarter of the size it was in 2008. Greece also has the highest unemployment rate in the EU, with one in four workers out of a job.
"Greek people are showing today that they can't accept any more austerity. If the government doesn't realize this, I'm very afraid that this will lead us to other forms of protest. It will also lead to social unrest," Ilias Iliopoulos, general secretary of the public workers union ADEDY, told the Wall Street Journal.