Athens, Greece 11.03.10. — Tens of thousands of trade unionists and anti-capitalists demonstrated during a nationwide strike against the cash-strapped government’s austerity measures.
Protesters chanted, “Make the bosses pay” and “Where has all the money gone?” Union leaders hailed the general strike as an overwhelming success as public services ground to a halt in all major cities from Alexandroupoli in the north to Sitia in the south.
Thursday’s walkout by public and private sector workers, the second nationwide action to have taken place in the past two weeks, grounded flights, shut schools and halted public transport.
“Prime minister Papandreou has just returned from a tour of world leaders – including Nicolas Sarkozy in France, Angela Merkal in Germany and Barack Obama.They all congratulated him on his neoliberal reforms which have seen outrageous attacks on pensions, wages and job security. Now he has to face the anger of the Greek people and these strikes are just the beginning.”
Street clashes took place sporadically during the mainly peaceful demonstration with riot police firing volleys of tear gas and stun grenades in an attempt to brake up the protest. Skirmishes with police continued thought out the day until they petered out in the streets surrounding Athens Polytechnic.
Athens, Greece – 10.03.10. Sacked Olympic Airlines worker have been occupying the ministry of finance offices for seven days and blocking Panepistimiou avenue, one of Athens main streets. They were protesting ageist government austerity cuts which has lead to them losing there jobs when the airlines was privatized.
Athens, Greece, – 24.02.10. Tens of thousands of Greeks took to the streets of the capital today as much of the country went on a 24-hour strike against government austerity measures. Sporadic clashes broke out between protesters and police who fired responded tear gas. Earlier workers across the country manned picket lines, preventing management and scab employees from gaining access to their workplace.
It is the second general strike in two weeks and coincides with growing anger at the EU’s response to the crisis. Public and private sector unions called the strike to protest a range of measures aimed at reducing Greece’s budget deficit. The government has announced a freeze on civil-service wages, cuts in public-sector entitlements and an increase in fuel prices.
Greece, Athens – 09.01.09 Teachers and students demonstrate against the privation of education and police repression on the anniversary of the death of Niko Temponeras in Athens.
Greece, Athens – 10.01.09. Over 10,000 people marched from central Athens towards the Israeli embassy in protests against the Israel war on Gaza. Demonstrators burnt images of US, Israeli, and Pro-Israeli Palestinian politicians, as well as flags.