Police fire tear gas as protests turn violent

GREEK police fired tear gas and battled groups of hooded youths near parliament in a rally against anti-austerity measures which international lenders have demanded to stave off national bankruptcy.

Parliament is due to vote today and tomorrow on a package of spending cuts, tax increases and privatisations as part of a massive bailout aimed at averting the eurozone’s first debt default.

Labour unions launched a 48-hour strike to protest the measures and more than 5,000 police were deployed to the centre of the capital to deal with the protests, with most attention focused on Syntagma Square in front of the parliament.