Greece: Protests against austerity measures continue in Athens

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Greece: Protests against austerity measures continue in Athens

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Protests against new austerity measures and layoffs continue in Athens.

20 October,2011 01:25 pm

Over 12,000 people took to the street on a national strike, however the peaceful demonstration ran out of control during the afternoon as crowds outside the parliament clashed with police officers who tried to disperse them with repeated rounds of tear gas.Some rioters were quickly suppressed by police as they smashed and looted stores in central Athens business district.Tourists rushed and hid into nearby buildings to protect themselves from tear gas and the violence.The aftermath of the riot saw central Athens in disarray, with broken glass and thick black smoke from blazing rubbish and bus-stops, obscuring the citys ancient monuments. Some protests lasted throughout the night. To avoid the situation turning worse, districts around parliament were cordoned off by police.The strike, which grounded flights, disrupted public transport and shut down shops and schools, comes ahead of a parliamentary vote on Thursday on new austerity measures which will include the suspension of tens of thousands of civil servants.Wednesday was the first day of a two-day general strike that unions described as the largest protest in years. Participants come from all sectors of the economy - from dentists, doctors and lawyers to shop owners, tax officers, and dock-workers.Aside from the economic problems, how to maintain a stable and safe society becomes another challenge for Greece.