Greek police clash with anti-austerity protesters

Greek protesters clashed with police and set fire to cars and a hotel in central Athens yesterday as tens of thousands marched against austerity measures aimed at pulling the country out of a debt crisis.
Riot police answered with dozens of rounds of teargas in clashes that lasted more than an hour, with police chasing hooded youths who threw sticks and stones.
Hours earlier, parliament approved reforms and spending cuts that are a condition of a 110-billion-euro (95 billion pounds) EU/IMF bailout, offered to Greece in exchange for austerity measures.
Striking public and private sector workers had already grounded flights, shut down schools and paralysed public transport and about 40,000 marched through the capital. Some shouted: "Revolt! Overturn government measures!"
As the march reached parliament, about 200 leftists attacked former conservative minister Kostis Hatzidakis with their fists, stones and sticks, shouting: "Thieves! Shame on you!"
Reuters witnesses said his face was covered in blood as he took shelter in a building. Police said at least 10 people were detained and three injured.
Three cars on Syntagma Square were in flames, while one luxury hotel balcony was on fire after petrol bombs were thrown. Smoke and teargas covered the square and bystanders scrambled frantically to safety.
The 300-seat house voted into law measures that cut wages in state-owned bus and railway companies and weakened the power of collective bargaining to allow company-level deals to prevail.
"People have had enough. The anger is so great that nobody can stop it," said Ilias Iliopoulos, general secretary at the civil servants' union ADEDY, adding the march was bigger than one in May, when 50,000 participated.
"Today is a warning for what will follow after the holidays," he added.