Greece: Protests erupt as lawmakers back austerity

Protesters wave flags of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain as they face riot police in Syntagma Square,
Athens, during a 48-hour strike by unions yesterday.

Lawmakers in Greece have narrowly backed a fresh round of austerity measures, despite violent protests across the country.

As evening fell, Greeks holding flags and banners carrying slogans such as “It’s them or us!” and “End this disaster!” packed the square. The protesters chanted: "People - don't bow your heads!".and "Fight! They're drinking our blood!". More than 70,000 protesters poured into the streets of Athens in one of the largest rallies in months, police said.

Public transport was halted; schools, banks and government offices were shut; and garbage was piling up on streets on the second day of a two-day nationwide strike to protest against the vote. “These measures are killing us little by little and lawmakers in there don’t give a damn,” said Maria Aliferopoulou, a 52-year-old mother of two living on €1,000 a month.

“They are rich, they have everything and we have nothing and are fighting for crumbs, for survival.”


The austerity package aimed at securing the next round of bailout funds was passed with the support of 153 MPs in the 300-member parliament.

The 13.5bn-euro ($17.3bn; £10.5bn) bill includes tax rises and pension cuts.

Measures in austerity package

• Retirement age up from 65 to 67
• A further round of pension cuts, of 5-15%
• Salary cuts, notably for police officers, soldiers, firefighters, professors, judges, justice officials; minimum wage also reduced
• Holiday benefits cut
• 35% cut to severance pay
• Redundancy notice reduced from six to four months