Three people , one of them a pregnant woman , were killed when Greeks protesting against government austerity measures threw petrol bombs at a bank in Athens on Wednesday .
Greeks
people pregnant woman kill greeks protest government austerity measure throw petrol bomb bank athens wednesday
Three people , one of them a pregnant woman , were killed when <m> Greeks </m> protesting against government austerity measures threw petrol bombs at a bank in Athens on Wednesday .
http : / / uk . reuters . com / article / 2010 / 05 / 05 / uk - greece - idUKLDE6440NQ20100505
Greek anti - austerity march erupts in violence , 3 dead
Wed May 5 , 2010 7 : 12pm BST
Three people , one of them a pregnant woman , were killed when <m> Greeks </m> protesting against government austerity measures threw petrol bombs at a bank in Athens on Wednesday .
Tens of thousands of striking workers and civil servants took to the streets and masked youths clashed with police in riot gear , who responded with steady rounds of tear gas and flash bombs which clouded the city centre .
It was the worst violence to hit Greece since riots in 2008 .
The violence was a blow to Prime Minister George Papandreou's plans to push through tough budget cuts demanded by the European Union and International Monetary Fund in exchange for a 110 billion euro ( 93 . 6 billion pound ) aid package unveiled on Sunday .
Police said two women and one man , between 30 and 40 years old , working for a Marfin bank branch choked on smoke after protesters broke the windows of a commercial building on central Stadiou Avenue and tossed in Molotov cocktails .
Marfin bank officials told Reuters one of the female victims was pregnant .
Firemen had to restrain a distraught elderly woman outside the bank , who wept and cried "my child , my child . "
Papandreou expressed shock at the deaths and vowed to bring those responsible to justice .
"We are deeply shocked by the unjust death of these three people , our fellow citizens , who were victims of a murderous act , " he told parliament .
He also defended his austerity plans , which foresee 30 billion euros in savings mainly from cuts in wages and pensions , and said the government would not abandon its drive to save the country from ruin .
"We took these decisions to save the country , " he said .
"The alternative would be bankruptcy . "
BIGGEST PROTEST
Protesters tried to storm parliament but were pushed back by riot police shortly before it started to debate the austerity bill .
Opposition conservatives are refusing to support it , but the government , which enjoys a comfortable majority , hopes to pass it by the end of the week .
Police put the march , to mark a 24 - hour nationwide strike , at roughly 30 , 000 people .
But witnesses said there were more than 50 , 000 - - easily the biggest protest since Papandreou took office last October and launched efforts to reform an economy that is uncompetitive and plagued by corruption .
Hundreds of black - hooded anarchists roamed the streets , smashing store windows and hacking chunks of marble off buildings to throw at police .
Although they were behind the worst of the violence , other protesters joined them in pelting police with bottles , shouting "Thieves ! "
Presidential guards , who usually stand immobile in front of the assembly building , left their posts as the clashes worsened .
"Our country is on the edge of the abyss , " Greek President Karolos Papoulias said in a statement .
"We are all responsible so that it does not take the step into the void . "
The marchers had dispersed by late afternoon , leaving streets littered with burnt out garbage containers .
Dozens of shop windows were smashed , including a bookstore near the burnt bank .
Two other buildings besides the bank were set on fire .
Police said 18 people had been injured in the violence and 12 arrested for carrying weapons and resisting authorities .
BLOW TO GOVERNMENT
The EU and IMF aid was intended to calm markets and give the government time to overhaul the economy and bring down a deficit that totalled 13 . 6 percent of national economic output last year .
But the euro currency and Greek assets have been pummelled by concern that social unrest could thwart government plans to push through the measures , and on fears that Greece's woes could spread to other euro zone countries such as Portugal and Spain .
In past months anti - austerity protests had been fairly peaceful , but Wednesday's violence was similar to that seen in the December 2008 riots , which broke out when police killed a teenager and dragged on for weeks .
Wednesday's strike grounded flights , shut shops and brought public transport to a standstill and the main public sector union ADEDY said it was planning more walkout for next week .
"The big participation in the strike today and the crowds that flooded the streets of Athens . . . sent a message to the government : We will not let the EU and the IMF measures pass , " said Ilias Vrettakos , deputy head of the union .
Apostolos Kolokythopoulos , a 70 - year old pensioner who lives on less than 1 , 000 euros a month , said the walkouts were needed to force the government to change course .
"I agree with the strikes .
If people don't react , don't protest , how will things change ? " he said .
Centre - left daily Eleftherotypia warned young Greeks would rise up if nothing was done to give them hope of a future .
"If nothing is done , the explosion of the angry and the disappointed will sweep everything away , " the paper said .
"Have we forgotten December 2008 and become complacent ? "