11 March 2010 (Thursday #1) – in Athens, Greece

Where Donna gives more info about the strike than the citizens of Athens probably knew

It’s here—National Strike Day (which seems to occur frequently in Greece). These general strikes are protests against the government's austerity measures. 

Before and on Thursday Conrad and I saw all sorts of alerts and lists. 

This was posted in our hotel elevators:

Below is more info about the strike.

ALERT

Another 24-hour strike on March 11 will disrupt travel and close all archaeological sites, museums and airports in Greece.

On behalf of the conscientious residents of Greece who value our jobs and the future, we apologize for whatever inconvenience this has caused and hope you will not give up on this country. We need your tourism and business to revive the economy.

Plenty of private businesses, restaurants and cafes will be open to welcome you.

What is on strike?

• All airports
• Ferries
• Athens public transport, including buses and trams
• Long-distance train network
• All archeological sites and museums
• Media blackout (local journalists on strike; foreign media still working)
• Landfills
• Courthouses
• Public sector offices
• Public utilities
• Hospitals (operate with emergency staff only)
• Banks
• Teachers (Participation in strike is dependent on location and school.)

Rallies and meeting places (I've only listed a few of the groups and their rally location):

• Medical staff: Rally outside the Ministry of Health at 14:00.
• Police: Rally outside General Headquarters in Piraeus at 18:00
• PAME (Communists workers group): Protest starting from Omonia Square, Athens 
• Attention: Roads are closed to traffic during protests, so expect delays and disruptions. 

From BBC's Malcolm Brabant before the strike: "There is a great deal of anger on the streets." Duh.

From BBC's Malcolm Brabant after the strike: “Thursday's march in central Athens was the largest since the troubles in Greece began, with an estimated 25,000 people taking part.

“Riot police, who were out in force to avoid a repeat of the violence seen during the previous strike last Friday, fired tear gas to disperse dozens of hooded protesters who threw rocks and other projectiles at the start of the march.

“The violence spread after the end of the march to a nearby square, and more than a dozen businesses and several vehicles were damaged.

“Although public anger against tax rises, pay cuts, and lost jobs is increasing, some analysts believe the strikes are having little impact, and the government is refusing to back down, saying it has no alternative.”

So, that about summarizes the situation. Although the strike took place all over Greece, Athens was the main site of the strike, and that’s exactly where we were. How did Conrad and I spend the day? See the next posts.