On Sunday, the Greek Parliament voted on a new austerity measure, which is intended to forestall bankruptcy with "a 22 percent cut in the benchmark minimum wage and 150,000 government layoffs by 2015 — a bitter prospect in a country ravaged by five years of recession," as the Times puts it. Riots ensued across the country, and in Athens the AP reports that at least 45 buildings were burned, "including one of the capital’s oldest cinemas, while dozens of stores and cafes were smashed and looted." Way to stick it to the man! Here's video of the fiery chaos:
An estimated 80,000 protesters took to the streets yesterday, some throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at riot police, fired tear gas. In Athens, more than 170 people were injured in the rioting, including over 100 police. According to the AP, the "stench of tear gas still hung in the air on Monday morning, choking passers-by."
Anti-German sentiment is also on the rise in Greece, in part because Germany and the Netherlands want any new loans to Greece to go to pay off debt. "This is worse than the ’40s,” said Stella Papafagou, 82, who wore a surgical mask at the demonstration to fend off the tear gas. “This time the government is following the Germans’ orders. I would prefer to die with dignity than with my head bent down."
