May 5, 2010
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Athens in what was easily the largest of the recent protests against the government's new austerity measures. And it turned violent when protesters clashed with police as they tried to storm Parliament and set fire to buildings. Three people were killed when they found themselves trapped inside a burning bank. The casualties could rise as other buildings were also set on fire. The demonstrations took place as part of a general strike, the third in three months, to protest new taxes and spending cuts as part of the government's effort to save $40 billion that the European Union and International Monetary Fund are demanding in exchange for their $140 billion bailout of the heavily indebted country. The BBC's Malcolm Brabant says that while the deaths will certainly increase the pressure on the prime minister, they could also spark a backlash against the protesters. Although the government insists it has no choice but to accept the conditions of the bailout, protesters say the austerity measures will disproportionately affect low-income Greeks. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the bailout of Greece is critically important for the continent. "Nothing less than the future of Europe, and with that the future of Germany in Europe, is at stake," she said.
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