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The protests organized by the General Confederation of Labour GSEE, uniting workers in the private sector, and the Syndicate of Workers of the State Administration ADEDY, which took place on Syntagma Square in Athens have ended. Demonstrations were held in a 48-hour strike of trade unions against the new memorandum. All the streets around the central Athens square are now open.

The unions arranged a meeting for tomorrow at 5 pm in front of the parliament.

"With their broad participation in today's strike with the union protests in Athens and in the country, workers continued their fight against the anti-democratic and harmful measures of the new memorandum extortion imposed by the supervisory Troika creditors", declared the private sector employees' union in today’s statement.

The statement also notes that "At this critical moment, when core labour rights are at stake, such as the collective agreement, all must join forces with the trade unions". The Union warns that it will fight with all of its power so that "these barbaric, antisocial and unconstitutional measures" will not be permitted.

The private sector employees' union invites all employed to tomorrow's protest, which will be held at 5 pm on Syntagma Square.

It is noted that at the beginning of the week the Confederate authorities will meet in order to decide what the next actions of the unions will be.

“Tomorrow, Sunday, SYRIZA invites all people to go out on the streets and squares of all cities, and mainly on Syntagma Square," said Dimitris Stratoulis, Coordinator of Commission employment policies of the left coalition SYRIZA during today's demonstration.

"Let us send the Troika, the obsequious government, the memorandum and the debt“to hell”. Let us stop the looting, enslavement and destruction of the people and country. Let us lay the foundations of a new Greece of democracy and social justice", he added.

Meanwhile, this morning the members of the Communist labour movement PAME put up two posters on the Acropolis with the following slogan, written in Greek and English: "Down with the dictatorship of the monopolies in the European Union."

Eleven arrested on Friday

Yesterday, police detained 11 people during the clashes in the centre of Athens. Anarchists have caused material damage to the windows of three buildings and to the entrances of two hotels.

According to the police, two citizens were injured by protesters participating in the strike. It was also reported that eight policemen were injured by stones, trees and other objects thrown by anarchists.

The clashes occurred during the general strike of the two largest unions in Greece GSEE and ADEDY, as demonstrators threw stones and Molotov cocktails, and in response, police used tear gas.

Amid these turbulent events the leaders of the two largest parties, George Papandreou of PASOK and Antonis Samaras of New Democracy, urged party members to support the bill for the new economic programme. During the meeting of the parliamentary groups of both their parties the leaders warned of dramatic consequences that the eventual bankruptcy of the country and exit from the Eurozone would bring, and called for discipline in the party ranks during tomorrow's vote on the bill in parliament.

George Papandreou spoke of a vote of national importance and urged PASOK parliament members to face the challenges of the time and to make the right decisions.

A call to members of New Democracy "to fulfil their duty to the motherland" was sent by Antonis Samaras, who also said that he will impose discipline within the party ranks during tomorrow's vote.

George Papandreou: Vote of national importance

"Now is the time for all of us to show our responsibility towards the homeland," emphasised Papandreou from the rostrum of the PASOK parliamentary group, stating that the new loan agreement is the only solution to the crisis.

By warning of the uncontrolled consequences from a possible bankruptcy, Papandreou stressed: "We came to the fountain and the country needs to drink some water. The country needs to provide 130 billion Euros to achieve a reduction of debt by 100 billion Euros."

"These amounts are unimaginable, it is the biggest package loan to a single country ever. We are facing an existential dilemma: to sacrifice a lot in order not to lose everything. We either continue radically, or we accept our fate," Papandreou said.

Regarding the vote on the new economic programme tomorrow in Parliament, Papandreou called it a "vote of national importance."

"We all have to weigh the historical responsibility we bear and take the right decisions", he said.

It should be noted that the PASOK leader raised the question of discipline within the party ranks not in his main speech, but later on, after the speech of Andreas Loverdos.

"I want all of you to be disciplined, and if this is a problem for some of you, then resign", said Papandreou.

"We in PASOK have the historic duty to change our country, but some struggle against us. We had to take the fate of the country on our shoulders. We are leading a real battle for saving citizens and their social rights from annihilation. This battle must be won and it will be won", he stressed.

And he continued: "Representatives of the parasite economy, exported their capital abroad, and are looking forward to the country leaving the Eurozone."

The leader of PASOK also took responsibility for any delays and for the fact that for two years he failed to solve the problems, which have accumulated for decades.

Meanwhile, Papandreou spoke of a battle led by PASOK on three fronts: against the international markets, against a conservative Europe with slow reflexes and against the inner status quo and views of the past.

The leader of PASOK also mentioned the war waged against him during those two years. "I was condemned as no other politician. I ignored the political price because I know how to say "no" to a real enemy ", he said.

He also said that most media rely on people's anger. "Everyone who has accidentally grabbed a microphone goes out and speaks whatever comes to their minds" added Papandreou.

Antonis Samaras: We are facing a great danger

"Our country is facing great danger, our freedom, independence and identity are in danger," said in turn the leader of New Democracy Antonis Samaras.

"All tissues of a living economy, the market, consumption, confidence have collapsed, and with them our hopes for tomorrow," said Samaras.

"We insist that the recipe of the memorandum was a catastrophic error. We do not change our position. Our choice was justified, our position remains the same, but we must prevent this enormous threat in order to be able to move forward ", he said.

The leader of New Democracy also said that his party will ask for immediate dismissal of parliament and early elections after the signing of the bonds exchange. He warned that the greatest danger to society is for it to explode if elections are not held. The position of Greece in the negotiations can be strengthened only through elections.

"The main thing right now is to vote on the new contract for a loan," said Samaras and urged parliament members to fulfil their duty to the motherland.

"I cannot imagine my country with empty supermarket shelves, no gasoline, no medicines", he said pointing to the consequences of a possible bankruptcy.

"In order to overcome the crisis, however, we need something more. A reliable party, New Democracy," said Samaras, by also admitting that his party has made mistakes as well.
Antonis Samaras criticized the PASOK government by saying that he had warned it many times about the catastrophic consequences of the memorandum. However, Samaras criticized Europe as well. "Now this is the Europe of punishment, not Europe of solidarity," he said.

"We are still paying off Papandreou’s destructive idea of a referendum," added Antonis Samaras.

Εvangelos Venizelos: Greece might make historical mistakes

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos warned with an even more dramatic tone about the potentially catastrophic consequences that would be possible for the country if it votes "against" the new memorandum.

"Tired and desperate Greece is facing the danger of allowing historical mistakes", Venizelos warned at a meeting of the PASOK parliamentary group.

"The real dilemma regarding the new programme resulting from the agreement of 26 October, is - to make the sacrifices laid down in it, or to make more sacrifices and end up with national humiliation, layoffs, and poverty," said Venizelos.

Venizelos rejected the alternative solutions of chaotic or coordinated bankruptcy, by noting that in both cases those solutions will be accompanied by further measures, which will be taken "with a gun pressed against the forehead," and even more severe pension and salary cuts .

According to Venizelos, although most Greeks understand that there is no other solution, that the new programme must be approved and implemented, unfortunately there are also those who do not want to share the responsibility for difficult but necessary and positive solutions.

"Perhaps they are confident that these decisions will be accepted anyway, because this shows the balance of power in parliament", he said regarding those who "can afford to avoid this bitter cup."

"Let us be honest and responsible, let us give hope to the people, because if we bend now, no one will forgive us later", said Venizelos.

George Koutroumanis: The memorandum is our only choice

A call to the PASOK parliamentary group to vote "for" the memorandum was sent also by Labour Minister George Koutroumanis, saying that this way we "preserve the hope to save and later on to improve, the situation."

"By voting against the memorandum this will reduce salaries by 50 or 60 percent, together with all other bankruptcy consequences," warned Koutroumanis.

"Do we really understand what bankruptcy means for the pensions of the Agricultural insurance organisation?" wondered the Labour Minister, adding that those, already anyway low, pensions will disappear completely.