Protest against austerity measures
(3 Jun 2011) 1. Demonstrators protesting at austerity measures walking with flags and banners past Syntagma Square with Parliament seen in background, at organisation by members of Greece's communist-backed labour union 2. Various of demonstrators with flags 3. Demonstrator on top of finance ministry tossing off fliers (earlier protesters occupied the building) 4. Ground shot of fliers in the air with ministry in background 5. Wide of anti-austerity demonstrators passing by finance ministry 6. Close-up of banner reading (Greek) "Organise and fight to overturn the system - General Strike" hanging off Finance Ministry 7. SOUNDBITE: (Greek) vox pop, Panagiotis (last name not given), demonstrator: "We have nothing. They have taken everything from us, even the money from our pockets." 8. Various of demonstrators marching 9. Close-up of demonstrator chanting slogans against the government 10. Various of demonstrators marching STORYLINE: Thousands of members of Greece's communist-backed labour union marched through Athens on Friday to protest the country's austerity measures. Their march took them past the Finance Ministry building, where earlier on Friday protesters had occupied the building, hanging a giant banner from the roof calling for a general strike. Additional measures are looming after debt inspectors from the European Union, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund said Greece is expected to receive the next instalment from a 110 (b) billion Euro (159 billion US dollars) bailout fund in July. The three, known as the troika, made the statement on Friday after a near month-long inspection of Greek finances and the reforms it is implementing to meet the terms of the bailout. The review said Greece had achieved "significant progress," but that further measures were needed. Debt inspectors from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund said Greece should receive the next 12 (b) billion Euros (17 billion US dollars) tranche of its existing loan, as long as additional austerity and privatisation measures are deemed sufficient. Greece also had to accept unprecedented outside interference in the way it runs its government services. Greece is seeking to narrow its deficit to 7.5 percent of GDP by the end of this year, from 10.5 percent in 2010. To achieve that, Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou last month announced remedial austerity measures worth about 6.4 (b) billion Euros (9.2 billion US dollars) for 2011. The fresh tax rises and spending cuts are to be finalised "in the coming days" and have to be accepted by the Parliament after approval by the Cabinet. Opposition parties angrily denounced the emerging new agreement as a recipe for greater hardship for Greeks. Austerity measures already taken - and the prospect of more to come - have sparked frequent protests and strikes, with several calling for yet another nationwide general strike. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
