Greek marchers hurled firebombs and stones at police outside parliament today while unions grounded flights and shut down public offices in a 13th day of anti-government protests since police shot dead a teenager.
Youths waving red flags scuffled with riot police, who formed a cordon around parliament, and tried to burn down a Christmas tree in the square outside. Police fired teargas to disperse the crowd.
"Topple the government of blood, poverty, privatisations," read one banner among the 7,000 marchers, who denounced education and pension reforms and the conservative government's failure to shelter Greeks from the global economic crisis.
Retailers pulled down their shutters and Christmas shoppers fled from the streets. Rallies by unions, students and teachers also took place in the northern city of Thessaloniki, the central town of Lamia and on the island of Crete.
"We are not finished just because it's Christmas. We will continue and intensify our struggle over the next year," said Stathis Anestis, spokesman for the GSEE private sector union federation which took part in the rallies.
A 3-hour work stoppage by public workers halted all but emergency flights between 10am and 1pm. Urban transport services were frozen while doctors and teachers walked off the job, reviving memories of last week's 24-hour national strike.
Greek prime minister Costas Karamanlis, under fire for his hands off reaction to the riots, announced measures to boost flagging tourism, one of the main reasons for a slowing economy.
"We are determined to do everything possible so that all we have achieved through sacrifices is not wasted," he said, announcing tax breaks and incentives for the tourism sector.
Greece's worst disturbances in decades, triggered by the December 6th slaying of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos, have fed off anger at youth unemployment and the economic slowdown.
They caused hundreds of millions of euros in damage in Athens and have shaken a government with a fragile one-seat majority in parliament. The demonstrations also sparked smaller sympathy protests from Moscow to Madrid.
Today, hundreds of students clashed with police outside Athens university buildings, burning three cars and rubbish containers, while one group set fire to a security van.
The policeman who shot dead Grigoropoulos has been charged with murder and jailed pending trial, while his partner was charged as an accomplice. The officer said he fired a warning shot in self-defence against a group of youths.
A ballistic report said today the bullet ricocheted before killing the teenager but further investigation was needed to decide whether the policeman aimed or fired in the air.
"The prosecutor ordered a more detailed investigation to determine the course of the bullet," said a court official who requested anonymity.
The protests have driven Greek bond spreads - a measure of perceived risk - to record levels above Germanbenchmark bonds. Ministers say the unrest has tarnished Greece's image overseas, which had been boosted by the successful 2004 Athens Olympics.
A poll conducted during the riots, showed the opposition socialists stretching their lead over the ruling New Democracy party to 6.5 percentage points.
Reuters