Tear gas fired at Athens protests

[CountAllVotes]

Source: RTE News

Greek anti-riot police have fired tear gas at youths protesting in Athens, as a trade union march marking May Day passed in front of the finance ministry.

The demonstrations and strikes are taking place today in protest at austerity measures being demanded by the EU as the price for financially rescuing the Greek economy.

In the northern city of Thessaloniki, police also fired tear gas at youths who attacked banks and businesses with iron bars during a May Day protest.

There latest violence comes amid reports that an EU-IMF economic rescue package deal will be announced at a Greek cabinet meeting tomorrow.

Read more: http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0501/greece.html

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We aren't reading about this here in the USA. I found this on RTE News from Ireland.

:dem:

[Jkid]

1. K and R

[dotymed]

2. Of course

the IMF will require the impoverished to bear the burden (privitization) of "saving" the economy that the elites have plundered. They always do. Then the (already) wealthy thieves can squeeze even more money from the masses. Too bad we can't have honest people heading the IMF. They would could tax the wealthy, return wealth to the impoverished and legislate the real causes of this collapse. Unfortunately, the IMF, like most international bodies, is by the wealthy for the wealthy. Unless the majorities of the worlds citizens cast off their economic shackles and declare their ownership and renounce Feudalism, this will continue to the end. For all of us. Nah, let the elites keep us divided over abortion, skin color, etc... it's just easier than realizing who the real enemy is..

[CountAllVotes]

3. looks like great fun in Greece

http://l.yimg.com/hv/api/res/1.2/82._Mfs.94RcafdpKvLFvQ--/YXBwaWQ9eWZpbmFuY2U7aD0yNDc7dz0yNDA-/

I see this has just hit the news here in the USA via Yahoo! Finance ...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Greek-unions-protest-expected-apf-4127633637.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

:dem: :kick:

[Joe Chi Minh]

5. Apparently, they're furious because the government's going to substantially raise their

retirement age from 53!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some absolutely hilarious stuff. Can you imagine the Greeks being browbeaten by accusations of indulging in class war! Or being Socialists!!!! Never mind Communists.

They'd take such uniquely American reproaches as compliments: 'Flattery will get you knowhere' would likely be their response.

Setting a policeman on fire, not so funny.

[fasttense]

6. Yeah, when Ronnie Raygun upped the USA retirement age to 70 not a soul marched on the street.

At least the Greek have the smarts to know when the uber wealthy are screwing them.

Today people still think their retirement age is the age at which they can take a cut in retirement pay And retire. But to receive your full Social Security, which you paid for twice, and retire you have to be 70 years old. If you retire anytime before 70 you lose anywhere between 50 to 20% of your well earned retirement.

Thanks RepubliCONS for changing the retirement age to 70. May you all work hard and long throwing boxes at Wal-Mart until age 69.

[Joe Chi Minh]

7. How about that, though.. 53! Is that not something? Even I was beginning

to wonder if they weren't a bit loopy, but when a young woman officiating at a demonstration - in her late twenties, early thirties -was questioned, she said, "Well, it wasn't our fault!" "We go down, you go down, too" seems to be the message. I've heard worse.

Of course she's dead right. It was the profiteering of rich swindlers who do all the bleating about the absolute requirement for swingeing cuts in public services.

[reggie the dog]

4. It is not just the youth

the middle aged and old are protesting too, news reports say "youth" to minimize the impact.