Affrontements à Athènes – 6 mai 2010
[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6pOMcy9hB8]
Rioters take to the streets as Greek legislators back austerity plan
smh.com.au
May 7, 2010
Greek legislators have defied public outrage at a draconian austerity plan, approving cutbacks as police battled hundreds of protesters outside Parliament.
Amid new global market turmoil, Parliament approved the plan – needed in exchange for a mass EU-IMF bail-out – a day after three bank workers died in a firebomb attack on the sidelines of huge protest marches in Athens.
Police charged to scatter hundreds of youths at the tail-end of a new protest outside Parliament that drew 10,000 people.
Relying on his Socialists’ majority, Prime Minister George Papandreou pushed the package of brutal spending cuts and tax rises through Parliament, warning that « the future of Greece is at stake ».
Greece’s government won backing for the plans, demanded by eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund in return for a €110 billion ($155 billion) bail-out, with 172 votes in favour out of 296 lawmakers present.
« We can guarantee that with us the country will not go bankrupt, » Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said after the vote.
In a heated debate, the Prime Minister told legislators: « The economy, democracy and social cohesion are being put to the test. »
The austerity plan commits to spending cuts of €11.2 billion by 2012. End-of-year bonuses would be scrapped for public sector workers as well as for pensioners. Value-added tax is to be raised from 21 per cent to 23 per cent this year and other new taxes, including for gambling and company profits, are to be introduced.
In Lisbon, European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet battled to reassure financial markets that Greece’s debt crisis would not end in default, but could not prevent the euro falling to a 14-month low against the dollar.
Pushed to the brink of default, the Greek government agreed last weekend to slash spending and raise taxes in return for the three-year loan package.
The bail-out has sparked public rage, but people on Athens streets voiced anger and bitterness on Thursday at the deaths of the bank workers – who reportedly included a four-month pregnant woman.
« I’m sad and I’m angry because those people who threw the Molotov cocktails don’t respect the lives of other people, » said Chris, 30, who took part in the demonstrations.
Anita, who works in a bank not far from the deadly arson attack, said it was « the saddest thing that could ever happen to Greece ».
« I was working in my bank, we saw the fire, it could have happened to me », » she said. « This has nothing to do with the protests; the demonstration was peaceful. »
Violence erupted on the edge of the mass protests, as demonstrators tried to storm the Parliament and hooded youths hurled petrol bombs at stores. Police responded with tear gas.
Most of the protesters pulled away from the Parliament bearing banners while, on the margins, some youths overturned garbage bins and tried to light fires.
A branch of Marfin bank, the Athens prefecture and a tax building were set alight in firebomb attacks.
The Athens rioting sent jitters through global financial markets afraid that Greece’s debt crisis could engulf other countries.
The euro wilted and European sharemarkets suffered further losses as Mr Trichet failed to calm investors nerves by saying that « default is for me out of the question ».
In Washington, the IMF moved to dispel concerns about Greece’s capacity to honour its debts with spokeswoman Caroline Atkinson saying that « default is not on the table [and] has not been on the table ».
Moody’s ratings agency on Thursday warned that the fallout from the Greek debt crisis presented a risk of « contagion » for the credit rating of banks in Britain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
Spain helped ease investors’ fears of contagion after the government successfully raised €2.3 billion in the country’s first bond sale since its credit rating was cut last week.
AFP
Greek lawmakers approve crucial austerity bill, minor clashes as tens of thousands protest
AP
May 07, 2010
ATHENS, Greece – Greek police have fired tear gas to repel protesters in minor clashes after lawmakers approved drastic austerity cuts Thursday needed to secure international rescue loans worth euro110 billion (US$140 billion).
The new unrest followed violent street protests Wednesday that left three people dead after a bank was firebombed.
Greece’s debt crisis has spooked international markets, and stocks plunged Thursday as investors feared the small Mediterranean country’s problems could halt the global economic recovery. The Dow Jones industrials slid almost 1,000 points before recovering to a loss of 465.
Greek lawmakers voted 172-121 to approve the austerity measures – worth about euro30 billion (US$38.18 billion) through 2012 – that will slash pensions and civil servants’ pay and further hike consumer taxes.
Violence braks out at Greek protests
cnn.com
6 5 2010
Violence broke out briefly between police and demonstrators here Thursday night, hours after Greek lawmakers approved an unpopular package of budget-cutting measures.
Thousands of demonstrators had gathered in front of Parliament to show their anger, and as dusk fell bottles were thrown at police, who responded with tear gas and pepper spray, said CNN’s Diana Magnay, who was at the scene.
The government is cutting public-sector salaries, raising the retirement age and imposing new taxes in order to secure billions of euros in loans from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.
Crowds dispersed quickly, Magnay said.
Demonstrations Thursday were smaller and generally more peaceful than a day earlier, when general strikes turned violent and three people were killed when a bank was fire bombed.
Greek lawmakers voted 172 to 121 to approve the controversial package of cost-cutting measures, the prime minister’s office announced.
Greek protesters clash with police after parliament approves crucial new austerity bill
AP
May 07, 2010
ATHENS, Greece
– Protesters are clashing with police outside parliament in Athens, after lawmakers passed a new austerity bill that will secure vital loan aid for near-bankrupt Greece.
Riot police fired tear gas to drive off stone-throwing youths.
Tens of thousands demonstrated Thursday, a day after extensive rioting marred a massive protest during a nationwide general strike against the new cutbacks. Three people died Wednesday after getting trapped in a burning bank torched by rioters.
Lawmakers approved the austerity bill with 172 votes in favor and 121 against. This will allow Athens to tap euro110 billion (US$140 billion) in bailout loans from euro-zone countries and the International Monetary Fund.
Greeks have been outraged by the measures.
Clashes after debt bill passed
thesun.co.uk
6 05 2010
PROTESTERS have clashed with police outside Greece’s Parliament after lawmakers passed punishing new measures to claw back the country’s huge debts.
Riot police in Athens fired tear gas to drive off stone-throwing youths after a new austerity bill was made law to secure vital loans for the near-bankrupt nation.
The move will flood the near-bankrupt country a massive £93billion in aid from the International Monetary Fund and countries using the Euro.
Greece desperately needs the money to pay its debts but proposed cuts to public sector workers have led to violent clashes between protesters and the police in recent days.
Yesterday three bank workers – one pregnant – died after protesters torched their building.
The hated austerity bill was passed by 171 votes to 121 but workers are furious at plans to slash salaries and pensions for civil servants and raise taxes.
As MPs voted some lay flowers in memory of those who died – the first such fatalities during a protest in Greece in nearly 20 years.
Greece’s Prime Minister George Papandreou told fellow MPs the bailout bill was the nation’s only hope.
He said: « Today things are simple. Either we vote and implement the deal, or we condemn Greece to bankruptcy. »
European nations hope containing Greece’s debt crisis will stop it spreading to other countries, particularly Portugal and Spain.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2962285/Clashes-after-debt-bill-passed.html#ixzz0nBA2OG3z
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