ATHENS—Thousands of Greeks walked off their jobs on Wednesday and marched through central Athens in an angry protest against continued austerity measures being demanded by international lenders in exchange for disbursing bailout funds.
There were isolated clashes with police, but the demonstration was generally peaceful.
The strike was called by the country’s main public and private sector unions a day before Greece’s parliament is due to vote on reforms that would help unlock the funds from the 86-billion-euro bailout, the country’s third in seven years.
New austerity attached to the funds release include the 13th cut in pensions since 2010 and a reduction in tax-free allowances on income. They come after years of cuts that for a time threw the country into deep recession.
Unemployment is running at close to one in four and there is a 48 percent jobless rates among the youth.
A few domestic flights were grounded and public transport was disrupted throughout Athens. At least 15,000 people including pensioners, teachers, doctors and lawyers, marched to parliament as lawmakers debated the new measures.
