Greek youths clash with police during austerity strike

A few clashes broke out between demonstrators and police, after youths throwing Molotov cocktails were met with tear gas and stun grenades, according to an Associated Press report.

As many as 20,000 protesters gathered in central Athens while a small group of anarchists at the tail of the demonstration threw petrol bombs at police officers at around 1:30 pm local time, a police spokesman said, requesting anonymity in line with policy. The protests came as part of a general strike, the first since the leftist party Syriza came to power in January.

The party’s department that deals with labour policy called for mass participation in the walkout to protest at “the blackmail from financial and political centres within and outside Greece”.

One protester said that the protest was a message to the Greek government that the people are on alert and aware of what is going on, and that the government needs to find other means and actions to keep from cutting pension and wages, and to give the people better health care and social security benefits.

GSEE and its public sector sister union ADEDY expected thousands to take part in protest rallies planned for 0900 GMT.

The mobilisation was being held as senior representatives of the European Commission, the European Central Bank, the IMF and the European stability fund are holding a review of reforms pledged under the country’s third bailout. Three policemen were injured in a separate attack and three people detained.

The eurozone ministers gave Greece a week to bridge its differences with lenders on a series of contentious measures.

The government is locked in negotiations to reach an agreement on the disbursement of a 2 billion euro instalment (£1.4 billion), as well as 10 billion euros (£7 billion) set aside for the recapitalisation of its banks.

A few people opted to work.

Syriza grudgingly agreed during the summer to implement the measures in return for a third bailout from its European partners.

“I’m confused. Are we marching with Alexis to topple Tsipras, or with Tsipras to topple Alexis?” one user said.

It’s the first general strike in Greece since the left-wing government first came to power in January, with workers across the country to walk off the job to protest against yet more spending cuts and tax hikes. Hospitals are operating with skeleton staffs. Museums and archaeological sites are also closed.

The Athens government is trying to avoid indebted Greeks losing their homes, but creditors want an agreement on a mechanism for tackling non-performing home-loans before they unlock €10bn to recapitalise Greek banks.

There was a few good news for the Greek economy on Thursday when officials announced that unemployment had fallen to 24.9% in August, the lowest level since June 2012.