ONE MAN died and dozens of people were injured during rioting in the centre of the Greek capital yesterday as MPs assembled to vote on a controversial new raft of austerity measures in parliament.
As was expected, the legislation, which foresees tax increases, the slashing of public sector pay and pensions by up to a quarter and the laying-off of thousands of civil servants, was passed by 154 votes to 144. The vote, which moves Greece closer to receiving an €8 billion payout under its bailout programme, came on a day that saw battles in front of parliament.
On the second day of a 48-hour nationwide strike, thousands of demonstrators filled Athens’s central Syntagma Square to protest against further austerity.
Earlier, members of the Communist Party-backed trade union formed a human chain in front of parliament to demonstrate opposition to the measures.
The atmosphere was peaceful until shortly before 3pm, when scores of koukouloforoi (hooded violent protesters) appeared and, armed with rocks, sticks and petrol bombs, attacked the communist cordon. The square descended into chaotic, hand-to-hand fighting as the communists tried to repel the koukouloforoi, with both sides using their fists, handheld wooden flag poles and rocks. As the situation escalated, the police fired tear gas and stun grenades.
First-aid volunteers struggled to deal with the injured, with one central hospital saying it had treated 74 people hurt in the rioting.
One of those rushed to hospital, a 53-year-old construction worker, was later pronounced dead. Hospital officials attributed the man’s death to heart failure, with the Greek media suggesting it was the result of tear gas inhalation.
The Communist Party, the third largest in parliament, confirmed the dead man was a member. It condemned the attackers as provocateurs.
Meanwhile, prime minister George Papandreou had meetings with dissenting socialist Pasok MPs, in a last-minute effort to secure their support for the Bill.
The talks succeeded in bringing one of the dissenters, the veteran politician Vaso Papandreou, into line.
However, as the vote was called, former employment minister Louka Katseli stuck to her promise to vote against the Bill on the grounds that it contained an article that suspended collective bargaining for private-sector workers.
Minutes later Ms Katseli was expelled from Pasok, reducing Mr Papandreou’s parliamentary majority to three.
