Europe

Greek police clash with protesters in Athens

Greek police in the capital city of Athens have clashed with union workers protesting against the government’s new round of austerity measures.

On Wednesday, about 3,000 police forces fired tear gas at a crowd of about 15,000 demonstrators as they marched towards the parliament building.

The angry protesters were participating in a 24-hour strike.

Greek workers and protesters expressed their dissatisfaction over Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’ proposed austerity measures, demanding a halt on cutting jobs and salaries.

The strike action included most of the country’s unions in the debt-ridden country, bringing the nation to a standstill with flights grounded, local transport disrupted and public service offices shut down.

The country witnessed its first general strike since Samaras and his coalition government came to power in June.

The government’s new austerity package calls for more than 15 billion dollars worth of spending cuts, a precondition to Greece receiving its next batch of international bailout funds.

The country could face bankruptcy in a matter of weeks without the funds. However, Greece has asked for an extra two years to carry out the austerity plan, with an additional extension cost of 13-15 billion euros.

Greece has been in recession since 2009 despite the austerity cuts and the bailout funds, which have been aimed at stimulating growth for its troubled economy.

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