Greece witnesses third strike, clashes between police demonstrators -- BBC

KUNA -- Public services and transport in Greece have grounded to a halt as workers stageed a third general strike in protest at the government's austerity measures, said the BBC Thursday.

According to the BBC website, flights are grounded, and most schools and hospitals closed in the 24-hour walk-out called by the two main unions. Riot police fired tear gas at stone-throwing protesters during a large demonstration in the capital, Athens. The government says it sympathises with public anger over tax rises and wage cuts but is refusing to back down. The country currently has a spiralling public deficit of 12.7 percent, more than four times higher than eurozone rules allow.

The government has pledged to cut this to 8.7 percent this year, and also reduce the 300 billion euro (USD 410 billion) national debt, by cutting public sector salaries, raising the average retirement age, and increasing sales taxes. Thursday's march in central Athens was the largest since the troubles in Greece began, with an estimated 25,000 people taking part, says the BBC's Malcolm Brabant.

Riot police, who were out in force to avoid a repeat of the violence seen during the previous strike last Friday, fired tear gas to disperse dozens of hooded protesters who threw rocks and other projectiles at the start of the march. Between bankruptcy and recession, between the devil and the deep blue sea, there is no other alternative to the abyss.

Minor clashes were also reported in the second city Thessaloniki, where about 14,000 people marched through the city.

Thursday's strike was called by Greece's main private sector union, GSEE, and its public sector sister union, ADEDY, which together represent half of the country's five million workers. Earlier, air traffic controllers closed the country's airspace for 24 hours and ferries were left in harbours as maritime unions joined the strike. Although public anger against the tax rises and pay cuts is increasing, some analysts believe the strikes are having little impact, and the government is refusing to back down, saying it has no alternative, our correspondent says. Potential rebels within the governing socialist party who have objected to the belt-tightening have been forced to toe the official line. Air traffic controllers have closed Greece's airspace for 24 hours On Friday, MPs approved an additional 4.8bn euros (USD 6.5 billion) in savings, which included rises in sales taxes, a cut in holiday bonuses paid to civil servants and a pensions freeze. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou is seeking assistance from fellow eurozone nations to make it cheaper to borrow funds on the international financial markets. EU leaders have pledged to help Greece, but have not outlined any concrete measures.