February 23, 2011
Greece was paralyzed Wednesday by a nationwide general strike as hundreds of thousands of workers, shopkeepers and civil servants walked off the job in a 24-hour protest over the Socialist government's austerity program.
In the center of Athens, a protest by leftists and civil servants outside parliament in Syntagma Square turned violent as several hundred youths hurled projectiles, firecrackers and Molotov cocktails at police, who responded with volleys of tear gas and stun grenades.
Police estimated the total number of protesters in the capital at about 30,000, and said the violence wasn't widespread. Turnout was moderate compared with previous 24-hour strikes.
In the city center, police and protesters clashed in the streets near the University of Athens campus and in the central business district. Protesters also set up roadblocks, attacked shops and set small fires in garbage bins.
"We have made one arrest of a man who had in his possession an archer's bow and arrows, as well as an ax. We hadn't seen anything like that before," police spokesman Panagiotis Papapetropoulos said.
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