Police disperse protesters as Greece approves austerity bill
(6 May 2010) SHOTLIST ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 1. Police line moving forward while demonstrators run and throw bottles. Tear gas exploding and smoke billowing 2. Women move away from clashes with mouths covered with handkerchief UPSOUND (Greek) protester: "Stop hitting us" 3. People running zoom in to police 4. Policemen walking next to fire 5. Confrontation between police and protesters, police spray tear gas 6. Various of bonfires with riot police passing by 7. Close up of sign reading National Bank of Greece 8. Various of bonfires with riot police passing by 9. Demonstrator moving from protesters and spitting at policeman 10. Demonstrator throwing bottle at policeman 11. Close up of demonstrators shouting at police 12. Police charging demonstrators and holding one on the ground 13. Various of riot police deploying in streets in front of parliament STORYLINE Greek police fired tear gas to repel protesters outside the Greek parliament in Athens on Thursday after lawmakers approved drastic austerity cuts needed to secure international rescue loans worth 110 (b) billion euros (140 (b) billion US dollars). The clashes broke out at the end of a main protest that drew tens of thousands of people as police pushed back a few thousand demonstrators outside parliament. The violence was quickly contained with riot police firing tear gas at the protesters, who had earlier pelted them with stones, oranges and bottles. Several small fires burned in surrounding streets but no injuries or arrests were reported. The unrest erupted after lawmakers voted 172-121 to approve the austerity measures - worth about 30 billion euros (38.18 (b) billion dollars) through 2012 - that will slash pensions and civil servants' pay and further hike consumer taxes. Opposition parties lambasted the government for imposing measures that are too harsh for the population to bear. The rescue loans are aimed at containing the debt crisis and keeping Greece's troubles from spreading to other countries with vulnerable state finances, such as Portugal and Spain. Fears of Greek default have undermined the euro and while the current package should keep Greece from immediate bankruptcy, its long-term prospects are unclear. The country's growth prospects are weak and the population's willingness to accept cutbacks may wane, leading some economists to predict an eventual debt restructuring somewhere down the road. Thursday's clashes came a day after violent protests left three people dead after a bank was firebombed in Athens. 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...
