Greek police fire teargas at protesters in Athens

Πηγή: Reuters
By Renee Maltezou

Sep. 25 2011

Greek riot police fired teargas at anti-austerity protesters pelting them with bottles outside parliament on Sunday in the first such unrest after a summer lull.

The rally of about 2,000 protesters holding banners reading "We won't pay for your crisis" and chanting "Get out of here" took place in Athens, as the country's finance minister was in Washington, scheduled to meet European Union and International Monetary Fund officials to discuss the debt crisis.

"Dozens started throwing bottles at police, who responded with teargas to disperse them," a police official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, police said.

More than 100 people were injured in clashes with police outside parliament on June 29 and 30, as lawmakers voted on the country's so-called mid-term fiscal plan.

Greece announced a new wave of austerity measures on Wednesday to secure a new injection of aid and save the country from bankruptcy, after a "troika" including EU and IMF inspectors made clear they were losing patience with the government's failure to meet the targets.