Anti-austerity movement in Greece
The events, which began on 5 May 2010, were provoked by plans to cut public spending and raise taxes as austerity measures in exchange for a €110 billion bail-out, aimed at solving the Greek government-debt crisis.[citation needed] On 29 June 2011, violent clashes occurred between the riot police and activists as the Greek parliament voted to accept the EU's austerity requirements.On 27 April, Standard & Poor's cut the country's main debt rating to BB+ ("junk" status), increasing concern that a default might occur.The chief motivator behind the anti-austerity protests appeared to be a deprivation type stimulus with actors, such as financial institutions and other foreign bodies such as the EU and Germany, being held accountable for the austerity policies implemented.[50] As protests gained momentum, a large group tried to storm the parliament building in Syntagma Square in Athens, where they scuffled with police, causing some of the Presidential Guard to flee from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.[57] On 5 and 6 May 2010, the Hellenic Parliament passed the proposed austerity measures, claiming they show the Greek government's commitment to tackling its budget deficit, amongst continued protests.[79][81] On 23 February 2011, there was a recurrence of violent protests and strikes, involving up to 100,000 people[82] as German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a renewal of the loan programme to Greece[83] that had been conditioned on fiscal tightening.[91][92] The demonstration in Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, is co-ordinated by the Facebook page "Αγανακτισμένοι στον Λευκό Πύργο" (Indignants at the White Tower), and over 35,000 people have said they would 'attend' the protest.[103] In Thessaloniki's protests there was a sense of direct democracy, as citizens were free to take the floor and speak, voice their concerns and opinions, and contribute ideas about what should be done next, receiving the full attention of the other demonstrators.[citation needed] As a means of protesting, people wearing white masks formed a human shield around the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Syntagma Square.[citation needed] Over 30 tents were set up in front of the White Tower of Thessaloniki in Greece's second-largest city, where a direct democracy style people's assembly took place every evening.[123] Later, riot police created a passage to enable MPs to exit the parliament, to the loud condemnation of 1,000 protesters gathered at the side entrance.At Corfu, protesters surrounded a restaurant where Greek and foreign members of parliament were having a dinner, shouting slogans against them while a few were throwing rocks and other objects at the politicians.[16][133] Police also stormed Monastiraki, as well as the streets around the Acropolis, randomly hitting people eating at taverns and making extensive use of chemicals and stun grenades.[138] The damage caused to Athens' historic city center is estimated to be over 500,000 euro,[140] as shop fronts were vandalised by hooded youth.[142] Three of Greece's most famous hotels located on Syntagma Square were forced to evacuate their guests and personnel in view of the uncontrollable situation, something that the media say has not happened since the events of December 1944, which started the Greek Civil War.[143] The crowds demanded that the Greek Orthodox Church help Greece in this time of crisis and accused the clergy of receiving oversized salaries.Despite the fact that the austerity measures had been passed, a large crowd, but smaller than on previous days, gathered in front of the Greek parliament to protest peacefully on 2 July.[152] He further added that not only does the Indignant Citizens Movement have a clear ideology (even if it is a "technology trend" as Pangalos described it), but that it also "reflects the real needs of the Greek society".[154] European Parliament MP Theodoros Skylakakis, who is aligned with the newly founded Democratic Alliance party, said that "these people need to get a sense of political ideology and move to a deeper revelation: from what they don't like, to what they like",[155] implying that a non-political movement will be ineffective and without results.[161] The leader of the opposition, Antonis Samaras, characterised the situation as almost that of a "parastate",[161] while George Karatzaferis of the Popular Orthodox Rally accused the government of "not being able to control 200 thugs in central Athens".[162] In a survey published in June 2011 by Public Issue on behalf of the Greek TV channel Skai, 98% of people asked said they were informed about the protests.[114][169][170][171] Mikis Theodorakis, prominent Greek songwriter and political activist, especially during the years of the dictatorship (1967–1974), also expressed his support for the movement in an open letter addressed to the demonstrators.[189] Additionally, a crowd of people had gathered in front of the historic Hotel Grand Bretagne in central Athens (close to the VIP stand) and shouted slogans against the economic crisis.[191] On 17 November, the annual day of demonstrations to mark the 1973 Polytechnic Uprising against the junta, over 50 thousand people marched in Athens, additionally demanding the resignation of the Papandreau government.[192] On 6 December, to mark an anniversary of the death of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, thousands of people marched on the Parliament building, throwing Molotov cocktails at the police, who responded with tear gas.The passing of the austerity measures is a precondition for the next €130 billion lending package from the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund to the Greek government, without which the country would face sovereign default by 20 March.[194][195] The protests had been preceded by a 24-hour nationwide general strike on 7 February, when the two largest labour unions in Greece said the proposed measures would "drive Greek society to despair.He also stated to the lawmakers that if the majority of them chose to vote against the austerity measures there would be several onerous consequences, including that the government would not be able to pay the salaries of its employees.[199] The declining conditions led to the left wing SYRIZA party being swept to power in early 2015 with their anti austerity policies being well received across Greece[24]
European sovereign debt crisisimpactArab SpringSyntagma SquareGreece2010–2011 Greek debt crisisausterity measuresbipartidismparticracydemocracy deficitstrike actionsit-insinsurrectioncivil disobediencepolice violenceAnti-austerity protestsEuropean UnionIrelandPortugalUnited KingdomLeft BlocPodemosSolidaritySyrizaFive Star Movementgeneral strikesGreek government-debt crisissince 1973Direct Democracy Now!Athensanti-austerity protests in Spainsocial networking sitesThessalonikiWhite Towerriot policepolice brutalityThe GuardianCNN iReportThe New York TimesAmnesty InternationalGreek debt crisisGreek economyTax evasion and corruption in GreeceFinancial crisis of 2007–2008European debt crisisFinancial audits, 2009–20102011 proposed economy referendumMay 2012 electionGovernment formationJune 2012 electionJanuary 2015 election2015 Greek bailout referendumSeptember 2015 electionGreek eurozone exitGreek crisis timelineGreek crisis countermeasuresshippingtourismgross domestic productHellenic ParliamentEuropean CommissionInternational Monetary FundStandard & Poor'sdefaultGeorge Papandreoufourth round of austerity measuresluxurysin taxesvalue added taxNew DemocracyPanhellenic Socialist Movement2008 Greek riotsExarcheiaglobal economic crisisCommunist Party of GreeceAcropolis of AthensMarfin bank arsonGreek military junta of 1967–1974Presidential GuardTomb of the Unknown Soldiertear gasflash bombssmoke bombsMarfin bank firebombingMarfin BankStadiou StreetMolotov cocktailsanti-capitalistasphyxiationMichalis ChrysohoidisMinister for the Protection of the Citizenpepper spraybudget deficitAngela MerkelEurozonesocial unrestpolitical coalitionAlexis PapahelasGreek austerity packagesmemorandum signed between Greece and the IMFNetherlandsGermanySwedenminimum wageEuropean Central BankBank of GreeceChristine Lagardesecond austerity packageHigh Commissioner for Human Rightshuman rightsCouncil of StateMaria DamanakiEuropean Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and FisheriesGiorgos PapakonstantinouPopular Orthodox RallyGeorgios KaratzaferisGreek parliamentReal Democracy Now!2011 Spanish protestsLarissaPatrasRethymnoTripoliKalamataSyntagmasexual assault claims