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Anastasia Balezdrova

Masses of citizens participated in today’s 24-hour general strike of public and private sector employees protesting against the economic reforms undertaken by George Papandreou's government. The entire centre of Athens was closed due to the huge trade union procession, which started from different points and headed towards Syntagma Square. The procession of the Communist trade union PAME was the first to arrive outside the parliament building, its members chanting "Disobedience! Strikes to the end." After they withdrew, the procession of the two largest Greek unions GSEE and ADEDY of public and private sector employees arrived at Syntagma.

A group of protesters tried to break the hydraulic wall along Vassilias Sofias Avenue and the police dispersed them with tear gas. Another group of protesters threw a Molotov cocktail in front of Hotel Grande Bretagne and the police responded once again with tear gas. After a slight clash, the special forces detained a young boy from a group throwing stones at the police.

The strike involves not only state and private employees but also lawyers who are dissatisfied with the government's economic measures, in particular the extra taxes on income and property. Judicial officials joined the protest too and courts in the country remained closed today. Due to the strike by doctors and medical staff, public hospitals in Greece served only emergencies.

Transport workers were on strike too. Trains in Greece were not running today. There were no flights to or from the Greek airport as a result of the 24-hour strike by air traffic controllers.