Three people have died after rioters in Greece set fire to a bank in Athens during a nationwide strike against huge spending cuts aimed at rescuing the country's economy .
a bank in Athens
people die rioter greece set fire bank athens nationwide strike huge spending cut aim rescue country's economy
Three people have died after rioters in Greece set fire to <m> a bank in Athens </m> during a nationwide strike against huge spending cuts aimed at rescuing the country's economy .
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Three Killed In Athens Bank Fire Amid Strike
7 : 00pm UK , Wednesday 05 May 2010
Three people have died after rioters in Greece set fire to <m> a bank in Athens </m> during a nationwide strike against huge spending cuts aimed at rescuing the country's economy .
Greek police clashed with protesters in the capital as tens of thousands of people joined a 24 - hour walkout .
The three bank workers - two women and a man - were killed when their branch went up in flames after a protester threw a petrol bomb inside .
Firefighters rescued another five people from the balcony .
Greek prime minister George Papandreou condemned the killings , saying : "A demonstration is one thing and murder is quite another" .
He added : "We will , of course , stand alongside the families who lost loved ones .
This is the least we can do .
"To those who now mourn the loss of three children we say that the perpetrators will be identified and held accountable for what they've done . "
The general strike was staged as a protest against a new round of draconian austerity measures .
Police said as many as 20 , 000 people took to the streets of Athens as rallies all around the country kicked off .
Also in the capital , a large group of people attempted to break through a riot police cordon guarding the parliament building .
The protesters launched rocks and petrol bombs at the officers , who responded with stun grenades and tear gas - filling Syntagma Square with chemical smoke .
Violence was also reported in Thessaloniki , where a further 20 , 000 people joined the city's demonstrations .
Greece has been paralysed by the strike and was effectively cut - off from the outside world .
Flights to and from the country were grounded , while trains and ferries suspended their routes .
Hospitals and schools were also hit .
The Greek government is attempting to slice 30bn euros ( �25 . 7bn ) from its deficit over the next three years .
The country has to save money as a condition of a 110bn - euro emergency rescue package from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund .
Ordinary workers are furious .
Trade unions say their members are having to pay for an economic crisis that has been created by corrupt politicians
The vice president of the civil servants' union , Elias Vrettakos , told Sky News : "The measures of the government overtake our historic gains and abolish our rights and return society back to the 1960s . "
Other union leaders have called the cuts "savage attacks on workers' rights" .
Markets around the world remained sceptical about the bail - out , as concerns grew about the economic crisis in the eurozone and fears it will spead .