Three dead as Greece protest turns violent

2010-05-06 11:35:28

#1

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|6867|SE London

At least three people have been killed in the Greek capital as protesters set fire to a bank during a general strike over planned austerity measures.

The bodies were found inside the Marfin Bank in Athens. The Greek prime minister said it was a "murderous act".

The protest became violent, with petrol bombs thrown at police, who responded with pepper spray and tear gas.

Protesters are angered by spending cuts and tax rises planned in return for a 110bn euro (£95bn) bail-out for Greece.

A police spokesman said the three victims - two women and a man - were among 20 people working in the Marfin bank branch on Stadiou Avenue in central Athens when the petrol bomb was thrown.

Most of the employees managed to escape the fumes as the flames took hold.

But three found their way blocked as they tried to escape to the roof and they suffocated.

"We took 15 minutes to get to the site because it was very difficult to get there," said fire brigade spokesman Panayiotis Falaras.

He said another five people had been rescued from the building's balcony.

Parliament is to vote on the measures by the end of the week. They include wage freezes, pension cuts and tax rises. They aim to achieve fresh budget cuts of 30bn euros over three years, with the goal of cutting Greece's public deficit to less than 3% of GDP by 2014. It currently stands at 13.6%.

As the demonstration gained momentum, a group of protesters rushed up a flight of steps at the parliament building in Syntagma Square, taunting MPs to come out and calling them "thieves".

Riot police forced them back, but right next to parliament, other groups set buildings on fire - including a department of the finance ministry in charge of the the austerity programme, as well as an office of the Athens prefecture.

I can understand they're upset, but it's not like the government wants to do this. Nor is it as though Greek public spending was in any way sustainable (retirement age of 53, wtf?).

I think this sort of violent protesting is completely reprehensible.

2010-05-06 12:01:09

#2

CammRobb: Banned; +1,510|6416|Carnoustie MASSIF

Bertster7 wrote:
(retirement age of 53, wtf?).

try going from that to 67...

2010-05-06 12:03:02

#3

-Sh1fty-: plundering yee booty; +510|5759|Ventura, California

Why is the rioting always in Europe? You never see other cultures doing shit that bad usually.

And above your tomb, the stars will belong to us.

2010-05-06 12:04:04

#4

CammRobb: Banned; +1,510|6416|Carnoustie MASSIF

-Sh1fty- wrote:
Why is the rioting always in Europe? You never see other cultures doing shit that bad usually.

-Sh1fty- wrote:
Trolling bf2s since '07

2010-05-06 12:06:48

#5

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5643|London, England

The Dow plunged 900 points and was on track for its worst point drop ever as images of protests in Greece reinforced growing fears that Europe's sovereign debt crisis will spiral out of control and further damage the crumbling euro.

gg Europe

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2010-05-06 12:08:26

#6

blademaster: I'm moving to Brazil; +2,075|6931

yeah they ought to lynch of all of the politicians....

2010-05-06 12:11:55

#7

jord: Member; +2,382|6963|The North, beyond the wall.

-Sh1fty- wrote:
Why is the rioting always in Europe? You never see other cultures doing shit that bad usually.

Yes you do.

2010-05-06 12:12:35

#8

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5643|London, England

blademaster wrote:
yeah they ought to lynch of all of the politicians....

Why? Because they voted in people who promised them a higher standard of living even though it was based on stealing from the future?

"In a Democracy, the people get the government they deserve"
- Alexis de Tocqueville

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2010-05-06 12:15:04

#9

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|6867|SE London

JohnG@lt wrote:
blademaster wrote:
yeah they ought to lynch of all of the politicians....
Why? Because they voted in people who promised them a higher standard of living even though it was based on stealing from the future?

"In a Democracy, the people get the government they deserve"
- Alexis de Tocqueville

Exactly.

(though the levels of corruption in government certainly didn't help)

The Greek people were living in a fantasy world.

2010-05-06 12:34:05

#10

Ilocano: buuuurrrrrrppppp.......; +341|6952

This is madness!

2010-05-06 12:49:13

#11

-Sh1fty-: plundering yee booty; +510|5759|Ventura, California

Ilocano wrote:
This is madness!

Must...resssiiiiiisttttt...ahhhhhhh

whatever

https://dansemacabre.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/this_is_sparta.jpg

And above your tomb, the stars will belong to us.

2010-05-06 12:56:05

#12

DonFck: Hibernator; +3,227|6917|Finland

-Sh1fty- wrote:
Why is the rioting always in Europe? You never see other cultures doing shit that bad usually.

Greece =/= all of Europe, because that's where they riot when the price of milk goes up by 2 cents.

Also, many 3rd world countries are constantly rioting, and before you draw lines to Europe from there, I had Wiki to list me some riots:

2010 - April 10 - Springfest Riot, Harrisonburg, Virginia, April 10, police disperse crowd of 8000 using tear gas near the campus of James Madison University; dozens injured; 30-35 arrested.
2010 - Riots in Santa Cruz, California.
2010 - Immigration riot in Los Angeles, California, April 17, between White Supremacists and Counter-Protesters

If you're going to troll, do it better.

I need around tree fiddy.

2010-05-06 13:12:06

#13

Bertster7: Confused Pothead; +1,101|6867|SE London

DonFck wrote:
-Sh1fty- wrote:
Why is the rioting always in Europe? You never see other cultures doing shit that bad usually.
Greece =/= all of Europe, because that's where they riot when the price of milk goes up by 2 cents.

Also, many 3rd world countries are constantly rioting, and before you draw lines to Europe from there, I had Wiki to list me some riots:

2010 - April 10 - Springfest Riot, Harrisonburg, Virginia, April 10, police disperse crowd of 8000 using tear gas near the campus of James Madison University; dozens injured; 30-35 arrested.
2010 - Riots in Santa Cruz, California.
2010 - Immigration riot in Los Angeles, California, April 17, between White Supremacists and Counter-Protesters

If you're going to troll, do it better.

The French are just as bad though....

They're always on strike. The way they behaved while loads of people were stranded there because of ash was pretty unpleasant.

2010-05-06 13:30:08

#14

Flecco: iPod is broken.; +1,048|6950|NT, like Mick Dundee

CammRobb wrote:
Bertster7 wrote:
(retirement age of 53, wtf?).
try going from that to 67...

Greek public servants were getting 14 months a year pay, along with two months of holidays.

Or so my supervisor tells me. He's been sending money back to keep his sister and mother out of trouble recently when normally they get by just fine without other support.

Whoa... Can't believe these forums are still kicking.

2010-05-06 13:32:00

#15

Chou: Member; +737|7076

Living like a Greek God doesn't apply anymore but hey we'll pay the fucking bill, don't worry.

2010-05-06 13:32:14

#16

SEREMAKER: BABYMAKIN EXPERT √; +2,187|6854|Mountains of NC

its not a succesful protest till someone dies

https://static.bf2s.com/files/user/17445/carhartt.jpg

2010-05-06 13:48:53

#17

SEREVENT: MASSIVE G STAR; +605|6393|Birmingham, UK

-Sh1fty- wrote:
Why is the rioting always in Europe? You never see other cultures doing shit that bad usually.

lol

2010-05-06 14:13:31

#18

ATG: Banned; +5,233|6814|Global Command

Greece is California in ten years. The blood is on the hands of the politicians.
$
The people have a right to outrage.

They have no choice because they are being robbed. The bailout means decades of debt for the younger generations.

2010-05-06 16:22:02

#19

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6690|North Carolina

The more I learn about Greece, the more I think... what the fuck happened to the country that once produced the world's greatest philosophers and thinkers?

Now, they seem to be a pathetic shadow of their former selves. Granted, the same could be said for Italy.

2010-05-06 16:24:39

#20

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5643|London, England

Turquoise wrote:
The more I learn about Greece, the more I think... what the fuck happened to the country that once produced the world's greatest philosophers and thinkers?

Now, they seem to be a pathetic shadow of their former selves. Granted, the same could be said for Italy.

It's been 2000+ years since then...

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2010-05-06 16:26:29

#21

CameronPoe: Member; +2,925|6841

Greece is a basket case. I laugh at how they chant 'We won't lie down and take it like the Irish', roughly translated as 'we won't take the tough necessary economic policy decisions required to address the current situation like the Irish did'. Their civil service gets paid 14 months salary for 12 months work for Christs sake.

Last edited by CameronPoe (2010-05-06 16:28:07)

2010-05-06 16:27:27

#22

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6690|North Carolina

JohnG@lt wrote:
Turquoise wrote:
The more I learn about Greece, the more I think... what the fuck happened to the country that once produced the world's greatest philosophers and thinkers?

Now, they seem to be a pathetic shadow of their former selves. Granted, the same could be said for Italy.
It's been 2000+ years since then...

True, I guess some nations age far better than others.

2010-05-06 19:28:50

#23

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6696|'Murka

CameronPoe wrote:
Greece is a basket case. I laugh at how they chant 'We won't lie down and take it like the Irish', roughly translated as 'we won't take the tough necessary economic policy decisions required to address the current situation like the Irish did'. Their civil service gets paid 14 months salary for 12 months work for Christs sake.

Well hell...a lot of our civil servants get paid 12 months' salary for a hell of a lot less than 12 months of actual work.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2010-05-06 20:05:33

#24

Turquoise: O Canada; +1,596|6690|North Carolina

FEOS wrote:
CameronPoe wrote:
Greece is a basket case. I laugh at how they chant 'We won't lie down and take it like the Irish', roughly translated as 'we won't take the tough necessary economic policy decisions required to address the current situation like the Irish did'. Their civil service gets paid 14 months salary for 12 months work for Christs sake.
Well hell...a lot of our civil servants get paid 12 months' salary for a hell of a lot less than 12 months of actual work.

Yeah, but it's nothing like Greece... lol

2010-05-06 20:15:45

#25

Diesel_dyk: Object in mirror will feel larger than it appears; +178|6280|Truthistan

JohnG@lt wrote:
Turquoise wrote:
The more I learn about Greece, the more I think... what the fuck happened to the country that once produced the world's greatest philosophers and thinkers?

Now, they seem to be a pathetic shadow of their former selves. Granted, the same could be said for Italy.
It's been 2000+ years since then...

Yah but, may be they have the balance of life thing figured out. You know here in the US we're productive and have money, but we are hardly living in an age of reason. May be you need the laid back lifestyle to have the time to contemplate and philosophize. Perhaps, 40 hour plus work weeks, 40 mile commutes, and working until you are too old and useless to enjoy yourself isn't the model we should be following.

Perhaps instead of Greece coming down to our level, may be we should be raising our standards to meet their's. who ever said progress should be a downdraft on a standard of living was defintiely no philospher... more like a slave master.

BF2S Forums Three dead as Greece protest turns violent

Bertster7 wrote:

-Sh1fty- wrote:

-Sh1fty- wrote:

-Sh1fty- wrote:

blademaster wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:

blademaster wrote:

Ilocano wrote:

-Sh1fty- wrote:

DonFck wrote:

-Sh1fty- wrote:

CammRobb wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

-Sh1fty- wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

CameronPoe wrote:

FEOS wrote:

CameronPoe wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:

Turquoise wrote:

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