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| Louisa Gouliamaki | AFP | Getty Images |
Violent clashes between police and protestors broke out on the streets of Athens on Wednesday. Some 20,000 anti-austerity protesters attempted to blockade Parliament, where the struggling government launched a debate on new cutbacks needed to secure international rescue loans.
Police launched tear gas at protestors as sporadic fighting broke out near to the the Parliament building and shopping district. At one stage, six police officers found themselves hemmed in by a group of protestors, who threw explosives at them. Other protestors threw flares at police, who appeared to be both outnumbered and on the retreat.
As the 24-hour general strike got under way earlier on Wednesday, a large part of central Athens was closed to all traffic and pedestrians as police mounted a huge security operation to allow lawmakers access to Parliament by car.
About 5,000 police officers, including hundreds of riot and motorcycle police, used parked buses and crowd barriers to prevent protesters from encircling the building.
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