http://www.resistnet.com/forum/topics/nationwide-strike-paralyzes
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ATHENS—Central Athens echoed with the angry chants of tens of thousands of protesters demonstrating against the Socialist government's austerity measures, as major unions staged a 24-hour nationwide general strike.
The Wednesday march was marred by violence when a group of about 20 youths broke away from the march and started throwing Molotov cocktails and heavy objects at police, damaging bus stops in Athens' Syntagma Square, where the Greek parliament is located.
Police said about 20,000 people took part in the march, but organizers put the number at more than 40,000.
"It's one of the biggest protests in recent memory," said Christos Papahristos, president of the civil servants labor union ADDEY which organized the rally along with GSEE the umbrella union that represents private sector employees "It was more than 40,000 people and their message was very clear," he said. "We can't take more austerity measures."
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Greek police fired tear-gas and clashed with demonstrators in central Athens after a march organized by unions to oppose Prime MinisterGeorge Papandreou’s drive to cut the European Union’s biggest budget deficit.
Hooded youths threw rocks, marble and other objects at riot police after the march today to the country’s Parliament building. At least one person was detained.
“People on the street will send a strong message to the government but mainly to the European Union, the markets and our partners in Europe that people and their needs must be above the demands of markets,” Yiannis Panagopoulos, president of the private-sector union GSEE, told NET TV yesterday. “We didn’t create the crisis.”
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