Demonstrators march to protest against austerity measures

(27 Nov 2014) A 24-hour general strike in Greece shut down services across the country on Thursday, forcing flight cancellations and school closures and leaving state hospitals functioning with emergency staff, while tens of thousands of protesters marched in central Athens. Labour unions called the strike to protest against continued austerity measures as Greece struggles to emerge from a financial crisis that wiped out a quarter of the country's economy and sent unemployment soaring to 26 per cent. Two demonstrations in central Athens were attended by about 30-thousand people in total, according to police. Protesters marched past the Greek parliament in the city centre carrying banners reading: "We will not pay for their crisis" and "We're fighting for jobs. They're fighting for money". Youth unemployment reached nearly 60 per cent during the crisis, which began in late 2009 after years of profligate government spending and lax fiscal management. The strike forced airlines to cancel all international and domestic flights after air traffic controllers joined the labour action. Public transportation in Athens was also severely disrupted as bus, trolley and subway workers took part in the strike for several hours. Ferries were also tied up in ports. To tackle the financial crisis, Greece has been dependent since 2010 on billions of euros in rescue loans from the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund. In return, Greece has had to push through painful austerity measures, including pension and salary cuts, and to overhaul its economy. 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...