Recently, if you have heard Greece in the news it is most likely in connection to talk of their economic crisis. Due to recent collapses in the stock market and a debt crisis, Greece has come under fire from both its citizens and others around the world. This past week an austerity plan was introduced that features 30% cuts in civil servants holiday bonuses.
Friday, riots in protest of this cut broke out. The protesters were spurned by Germany’s refusal to offer financial aid to Greece. These cuts to help repair the damage done by the budget deficit are also coupled with higher consumer taxes. While politicians debating the upcoming cuts, 7,000 protesters gathered at the Tomb of the Unknown solidier in Athens. There were also riots in Thessaloniki. The protesters clashed with riot police particularly in Athens where they had smashed windows, attacked military guards, and thrown missiles at the police. The police fought the crowds with tear gas, billy clubs, and physical force. The leader of the main workers’ union Yiannis Panagopoulos was injured in the protests and some of the politicians were also manhandled amidst the chaos. The article linked to above even compared images of the riots to those of battle scenes from Ancient Greece.
Events like this effect all of Greece and are currently the most talked about issues internationally in reference to the country. As this YouTube poster with this clip from ABC news points out, these riots are merely a repetition of history.
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