Violence as Greece approves austerity cuts

Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the Greek capital yesterday after parliament approved drastic austerity cuts needed to secure international rescue loans worth 110 billion euros (£96bn).

By The Newsroom

Published 6th May 2010, 23:53 BST

Updated 6th May 2010, 23:53 BST

They later clashed with riot police who fired tear gas to drive off stone-throwing youths.

More than 30,000 demonstrators filled the streets of Athens,

chanting "They declared war. Now fight back."

The protest followed violent street protests on Wednesday that left three people dead after a bank was firebombed.

In parliament, lawmakers voted 172-121 to approve the cuts that will slash pensions and civil servants' pay and further hike consumer taxes.

Prime minister George Papandreou expelled three Socialist deputies who dissented in the vote, reducing the party's number of seats to 157 in the 300-member parliament. "We have done what was necessary, not what was easy," finance minister George Papaconstantinou said after the vote.

Tens of thousands Greece