Bows, arrows, and firebombs

Protests were once again roiling Greece last week as the two main labour unions staged the first general strike of the year, disrupting basic services across the country. In the capital, Athens, an estimated 30,000 workers, shopkeepers, civil servants and youth marched in the streets to protest the government’s ongoing austerity program. The turnout was lower than at previous rallies, and the marches mostly peaceful, but groups of youth did hurl firebombs at police. In parts of the city, residents witnessed now familiar urban guerrilla scenes, with protesters erecting barricades, smashing shop windows, and setting garbage bins on fire. Twenty-five people were held for questioning, police said, including a man carrying a bow, arrows and an axe. The protests came as new data showed the Greek economy contracting by a worse-than-expected 4.5 per cent last year. Greece agreed to the austerity measures as part of a deal with the European Union and International Monetary Fund for a $150-billion bailout.