ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police clashed with hooded rioters hurling petrol bombs as tens of thousands took to the streets of Athens on Wednesday in Greece's biggest anti-austerity protest in more than a year. 
 
 Violence erupted after nearly 70,000 people marched to parliament chanting "We won't submit to the troika (of lenders)" and "EU, IMF Out!" on the day of a general strike against a new round of cuts demanded by foreign lenders. 
 
 As the rally ended, dozens of black-clad youths threw stones, petrol bombs and bottles at riot police, who responded with several rounds of teargas. Police chased the protesters through Syntagma square in front of parliament as helicopters clattered overhead. Smoke rose from small blazes in the streets. 
 
 About 120 people were detained after angry protesters smashed bus stop kiosks and set fire to garbage cans. 
 
 "We can't take it anymore - we are bleeding. We can't raise our children like this," said Dina Kokou, a 54-year-old teacher and mother of four who lives on 1,000 euros a month. 
 
 "These tax hikes and wage cuts are killing us." 
 
 The 24-hour nationwide strike, called by the country's two biggest unions representing half the four-million-strong work force, is shaping up to be the first test of whether Prime Minister Antonis Samaras can stand his ground. 
 
 Police officials estimated the demonstration was the largest since a May 2011 protest, and among the biggest since near-bankrupt Greece first resorted to aid from international lenders in 2010 - which has come at the price of painful austerity cuts. 
 
 The traditional summer break has allowed the fragile conservative-led coalition to enjoy relative calm on the streets since narrowly coming to power on a pro-euro, pro-bailout platform, but unions say the lull is over. 
 
 "Yesterday the Spaniards took to the streets, today it's us, tomorrow the Italians and the day after - all the people of Europe," Yiorgos Harisis, a unionist from the ADEDY public sector group told demonstrators. 
 
 "With this strike we are sending a strong message to the government and the troika that the measures will not pass even if voted in parliament, because the government's days are numbered." 
 
 About 3,000 police - twice the number usually deployed - stood guard in the centre of Athens, which last saw serious violence in February when protesters set shops and banks ablaze as parliament approved an austerity bill. 
 
 Police formed a barricade outside parliament, and officers blocked a pensioner who tried to move towards Samaras's office holding a banner with pictures of Greek prime ministers under the title: "The biggest traitors in Greek history". 
 
 Ships stayed docked, museums and monuments were shut to visitors and air traffic controllers walked off the job for a three-hour stoppage. Train service and flights were suspended, public offices and shops were shut, and hospitals worked on skeletal staff as part of the general strike. 
 
 "DESTROYING OUR LIVES" 
 
 Much of the union anger is directed at spending cuts worth nearly 12 billion euros ($15.55 billion) over the next two years that Greece has promised the European Union and International Monetary Fund in an effort to secure its next tranche of aid. 
 
 The bulk of those cuts is expected from cutting wages, pensions and welfare benefits, heaping a new wave of misery on Greeks who say repeated rounds of austerity have pushed them to the brink and failed to transform the country for the better. 
 
 "We can't just sit by idly and do nothing while the troika and the government destroy our lives," said Dimitra Kontouli, a 49-year-old local government employee whose salary was cut to 1,100 euros a month from 1,600 euros previously. 
 
 "My husband has lost his job, we just can't make ends meet." 
 
 A survey by the MRB polling agency last week showed that more than 90 percent of Greeks believe the planned cuts are unfair and burden the poor, with the vast majority expecting more austerity in coming years. 
 
 Unions argue that Greece should remain in the euro but default on part of its debt and ditch the current recipe of austerity cuts in favor of higher taxes on the rich and efforts to nab wealthy tax evaders. 
 
 But with Greece facing certain bankruptcy and a potential euro zone exit without further aid, Samaras's government has little choice but to push through the measures, which have also exposed fissures in his coalition. 
 
 With Greece in its fifth year of recession and nearly one out of four jobless, analysts say patience is wearing thin and a strong public backlash could tear apart the weak government. 
 
 "What people want to tell Samaras is that they are hurt and Samaras could use this to demand concessions from the troika," MRB polling director Dimitris Mavros said. 
 
 "The people are willing to give the government time, but on certain conditions like cracking down on tax evasion and securing a bailout extension. If the government succeeds in that, its life will also be extended." ($1 = 0.7715 euros) 
 
 (Additional reporting by Tatiana Fragou; Writing by Deepa Babington) ||||| Anti-austerity protesters set up roadblocks as they attempt to block streets leading to the parliament in Athens June 29, 2011. Greece's parliament looked increasingly likely to approve unpopular austerity measures on Wednesday, despite violent protests, to secure international funds to prevent the euro zone's first sovereign default. 
 
 ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police firing tear gas fought running battles with stone-throwing protesters outside parliament on Wednesday as signs grew the government would succeed in pushing through an austerity plan demanded by creditors. 
 
 With Greece risking bankruptcy if the measures are blocked, parliament was due to vote in the afternoon on the mix of spending cuts, tax increases and privatizations to be implemented as conditions for a massive bailout by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. 
 
 Tens of thousands of protesters, many of them waving Greek flags and beating drums, packed Syntagma Square outside parliament as a 48-hour general strike that began on Tuesday brought central Athens to a standstill. 
 
 "Dissolve parliament," read one banner. 
 
 Demonstrations turned violent for a second day when a surge in the crowd overturned metal barriers, forcing back a line of riot police, who responded with flash bombs and tear gas. 
 
 "Cops, pigs, murderers!" chanted the crowd at a line of white-helmeted riot police as tear gas projectiles turned the air outside parliament white. A line of protesters joined hands in a traditional Greek dance in front of police lines. 
 
 Inside parliament, the government of Socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou inched closer to securing the majority it needs to pass the law as a member of the conservative opposition said she would vote for the 28 billion euro ($39.7 billion) package. 
 
 Late on Tuesday, one of three rebel Socialist (PASOK) lawmakers climbed down, saying he would support the measures. 
 
 "I have made the decision to vote for the plan because national interests are more important than our own dignity," the deputy, Thomas Robopoulos, told Reuters. 
 
 A parliamentary official said the vote would probably take place between 2 and 5 p.m. (1100-1400 GMT). 
 
 One communist deputy was pelted with yoghurt as protesters tried to block several avenues around parliament to prevent the vote. At least three people were treated for minor injuries as protesters skirmished with police. 
 
 The communist-affiliated PAME labor group held a rally in the morning and several other meetings were expected during the day, culminating in a major demonstration by public service union ADEDY and private sector union GSEE at 7 p.m. (1600 GMT). 
 
 Greece's central bank governor, George Provopoulos, warned that a "no" vote would be suicidal for Greece. 
 
 "For parliament to vote against this package would be a crime - the country would be voting for its suicide," he told the Financial Times. 
 
 BITTER RESENTMENT 
 
 The measures demanded by international lenders as the price for continuing to support Athens have wrought bitter resentment in a Greek population coping with the deepest recession since the 1970s and now facing years of grim austerity. 
 
 Another PASOK rebel, Panagiotis Kouroublis, said he still objected to the plan but declined to say whether he would vote against it. "I will speak to the parliament later and you will hear what I have to say," he told Alter TV. "Nothing is more important than my dignity and my love for my country." 
 
 The Socialists hold a narrow majority with 155 seats in the 300-member legislature and with Robopoulos, the most prominent of a handful of potential rebels, backtracking on his opposition, chances of the vote going through improved. 
 
 In a sign of growing optimism on financial markets about the outcome, Greek bank stocks opened up 3 percent on Wednesday, while Greek bond yields fell. 
 
 However, even with approval on Wednesday, there will still be a risk of lawmakers rejecting detailed austerity bills in votes on Thursday on the implementation of different elements of the plan, such as tax rises and the sale of state assets. 
 
 "Will there be a way to compensate households for the heating fuel increase? Will there be exemptions for agriculture to help it be competitive? I am waiting for answers to see what I will do in the implementation law," said Socialist MP Mihalis Tzelepis, reflecting the anger within the party. 
 
 The EU and the IMF have said the entire plan must be passed this week for Greece to obtain the next, 12 billion euro ($17.3 billion) tranche of emergency loans under the bailout. 
 
 Greek officials have said the country needs the money by mid-July to continue paying its debts. 
 
 Despite heavy international pressure, the center-right opposition declared it would vote against the package but close attention was being paid to a splinter group of conservative deputies led by former foreign minister Dora Bakoyanis. 
 
 Bakoyanis, who broke party ranks to vote in favor of Greece's first EU/IMF bailout last year, said on Wednesday she would abstain from voting this time. The other four deputies in her group would vote according to their consciences. 
 
 "The government cannot govern and apply the program and the political opposition is lying, this is the problem. It does not dare to tell people that there are no magic solutions, that sacrifices are necessary," Bakoyanis said. 
 
 (Additional reporting by George Georgiopoulos and Ingrid Melander; writing by James Mackenzie and Daniel Flynn; editing by Mark Heinrich)
– Greek workers launched a 48-hour general strike today to protest government austerity measures as 20,000 demonstrators headed to Parliament and another 7,000 marched in the country’s second-biggest city. Some 5,000 police guarded Athens, and while the initial protests were peaceful, things are heating up. Young people threw rocks near Greece’s finance ministry, prompting tear gas from police; in central Athens youths burned garbage bins. Strikers range from actors to casino workers to doctors, the AP reports. With lawmakers considering a $40 billion austerity program, including new taxes on minimum-wage earners, “the government has declared war and to this war we will answer back with war,” said a protester. Meanwhile, the debate continues in Parliament as European officials push for the plan. "To those who speculate about other options,” noted one, “let me say this clearly: There is no Plan B to avoid default," the New York Times reports. But protesters argue the country’s debts aren’t theirs to cover. “We don't owe any money, it's the others who stole it,” said one.