Anarchy in Athens as local bank set on fire

Greece brought to halt by general strike over cuts

Greece has been brought to a standstill as angry workers stage a general strike over planned austerity measures.

All flights are grounded and no trains or ferries are running as transport workers join public sector staff who began a 48-hour strike on Tuesday.

Flights in and out of Greece stopped at midnight, and trains and ferries were not running. Schools, hospitals, and many offices are shut. The BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens says anger is mounting as people realise how much they stand to lose under the austerity plan.

Despite the massive bailout package announced by EU and IMF to salvage Greece from the sovereign debt crisis, the market sentiment across the world was pessimistic. Investors are beginning to doubt whether this bailout package will be sufficient or not and also whether Italy, Spain and Portugal are next in line. Most are fearing for a Eurozone wide financial crisis.

[edit on 5-5-2010 by order in chaos]

[edit on 5-5-2010 by order in chaos]

[edit on 5-5-2010 by order in chaos]

[edit on 5-5-2010 by order in chaos]

Here is a live web cam:

www.aftonbladet.se...

Athens is increasingly looking like Krygyzstan. The only difference seems to be that neither the protesters nor the government have not yet initiated a conflict with assault rifles.

reply to post by order in chaos


Thanks for the video link im watching it just now, looks like its not far off getting nasty in some areas.

Rioting is exactly what governments want right now, before they introduce their resolutions that the people will accept.

Cheers



[edit on 5-5-2010 by XXXN3O]

dude, check out the roof tops on the video's coming from Greece - they have 50 cal . snipers on the roofs . at least thats what I thought I saw .
the police appear to be un-armed except for riot gear and shield with stick.
yea, they dont want to ignite civil war - just yet. but snipers on the roofs - greece - grease - greeks ... this is going to get interesting.

[edit on 5-5-2010 by Anti-Evil]

Wow, the guy in the white shirt is gonna get his head cracked.

He already got swung on once by the riot cops. Thanks for the link.

edit to add..

Watching the same now on satellite. Apparently a bank has been set on fire already, and 3 people inside (two women and one man) have died.


[edit on 5-5-2010 by lernmore]

Taking the bailout money will ensure continued violence. Look what the IMF has done to other countries it has "helped".

Greece needs to get out of the EU and reclaim their nation from the communists, anarchists, banksters, and politicians.

Or let it get worse. Anarchy and rioters thronging through the streets so effing cool!

Austerity measures essential, says Greek PM

Below is a possible timetable of key events until May 19, when Greece has to pay back 8.5 billion euros in maturing debt.

MONDAY-FRIDAY, MAY 3-7

Greek parliament is likely to debate and vote on any additional austerity measures that are to be announced under the bailout package. The government also plans to submit to parliament a pension reform law, but the exact date or provisions of law are not known.

So it looks like the Greek parliament is likely to vote on additional austerity measures this week. If the Greeks are sending a "message" to the government today by protesting, I am wondering as to how they will react if the Greek government passes the new austerity measures.

If the Greek government approves the new set of austerity plans by the end of this week, I don't think that Greek citizens would take that lightly. One possible scenario could be that the Greek citizens force the existing government to resign for its role in the debt crisis.

BBC are reporting that 3 are dead,following a bank getting petrol bombed.
If true,the cops will turn it up a notch I think.

A heck of a lot of average folks out protesting as well as the more extreme elements.

Could this be the beginning of the end of the EU as we know it?
The likes of Merkel are talking as though that could be the case.

I feel sorry for the Greeks-We know what it feels like when the bankers and politicians steal our wealth.

In Greece,even the cops are looking at a 20-30% pay cut(along with the rest of the public sector),while the politicians will of course,not get any pay cuts.

How damned unfair is that,when it was the banks and politicians who created this mess?

according to AFP (via Bloomberg TV) there are 20 people inside of a burning Athens bank. Reuters is also reporting people likely trapped inside of a building. We're not clear if it's the same one

www.businessinsider.com...

this is terrible.....

another side note...the EU has said the GB deficit is even worse than greece's!!

This is quagmire, a conundrum... In one sense, the country is broke and CANNOT continue with its socialist programs. The money simply doesn't exist. The government is being forced to make some tough financial decisions and the austerity measures are necessary. The rioters are acting like a bunch of children who have had cartoon privledges revoked.

Instead of acting out because daddy government won't be there to attend to their every need, they should be using this opportunity to shed the governmental chains that have entered them into slavery to begin with.

Folks don't confuse what is happening in Greece with a "Revolution", it isn't! Again, these are children acting out because they are losing their government handouts. Expect to see this in every country where the government has a glut of "Social welfare programs" that they cannot continue to pay for.

reply to post by alienesque


Thats true,although sterling is actually benefiting from the weak Euro at the moment.
And the UK has kept its tripe A credit rating(so far).
That may all change rapidly depending on the result of the election IMO.

Had we already joined the Euro-we would now be properly screwed.

Some images of the May day protest in Greece:
















Courtesy: May Day protests

Originally posted by order in chaos
If the Greek government approves the new set of austerity plans by the end of this week, I don't think that Greek citizens would take that lightly. One possible scenario could be that the Greek citizens force the existing government to resign for its role in the debt crisis.

What about the people's role in the debt crisis? You can't have it both ways. When people "Vote themselves money" by electing politiicans who offer a wealth of hand-outs thus putting the country in debt, they share the blame as well

This will be arriving on the shores of the United States before too long as the US is quickly going bankrupt (again) and will no longer be able to afford to continue many of these same programs.

Originally posted by kozmo
This is quagmire, a conundrum... In one sense, the country is broke and CANNOT continue with its socialist programs. The money simply doesn't exist. The government is being forced to make some tough financial decisions and the austerity measures are necessary. The rioters are acting like a bunch of children who have had cartoon privledges revoked.

Instead of acting out because daddy government won't be there to attend to their every need, they should be using this opportunity to shed the governmental chains that have entered them into slavery to begin with.

Folks don't confuse what is happening in Greece with a "Revolution", it isn't! Again, these are children acting out because they are losing their government handouts. Expect to see this in every country where the government has a glut of "Social welfare programs" that they cannot continue to pay for.

i dont agree..some of the banners these people are carrying seem to show they know whats being on...

'they should be using this opportunity to shed the governmental chains that have entered them into slavery to begin with.'

thats what they are doing....governments have shown they dont listen to peaceful protests or even referendums...what else can the people do?

Originally posted by kozmo

Originally posted by order in chaos
If the Greek government approves the new set of austerity plans by the end of this week, I don't think that Greek citizens would take that lightly. One possible scenario could be that the Greek citizens force the existing government to resign for its role in the debt crisis.

What about the people's role in the debt crisis? You can't have it both ways. When people "Vote themselves money" by electing politiicans who offer a wealth of hand-outs thus putting the country in debt, they share the blame as well

This will be arriving on the shores of the United States before too long as the US is quickly going bankrupt (again) and will no longer be able to afford to continue many of these same programs.

who should they have voted for?....they were all the same and regardless who was voted in the corruption continued...thats the whole point...the people have had enough of being lied to..

reply to post by alienesque


I don't see too much of what you're talking about. What I see are people protesting the austerity measures - meaning, they are protesting losing their handouts. That's what "Austerity measures" are - the government cutting WAAAAAAAY back on expenditures, cutting many programs that the people have come to rely on.

What people have lost sight of over the years is that the government is OBLIGATED to be AUSTERE, but the politicians have used social enginerring programs to buy votes. Benjimin Franklin said it best, "When people realize that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the Republic." Even though he was referring to the US, it is a universal declaration applicable to ANY form of government, anywhere!

The best countries in the world to live in have civil revolts on a fairly regular basis.

Civil revolt is an indicator of a healthy population,people who refuse to bow down to the stuffed shirt,lying,thieving,parasitic aristocracy and corporations.

Anarchy is everywhere,anarchy is good,anarchy is what those who fear losing control call free people who know their true power.

There is nothing wrong with anarchy,unless you should find yourself hanging from a lightpost.

We have too many empty lightposts in the U.S..