Greek police have fired tear gas to disperse anarchists throwing petrol bombs near Athens' parliament on a day-long strike against austerity measures.

Clashes erupted during the first trade union-led action since a conservative-led coalition came to power in June.

The protest is against planned spending cuts of 11.5bn euros ($15bn; £9bn).

The savings are a pre-condition to Greece receiving its next tranche of bailout funds, without which the country could face bankruptcy in weeks.

An estimated 50,000 people have joined the protests.

A march past parliament turned violent as anarchists wearing black balaclavas and carrying sticks threw petrol bombs and broken bits of concrete at riot police on Syntagma Square, says the BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens.

Wednesday's strike has brought the whole country to a standstill, adds our correspondent, with doctors, teachers, tax workers, ferry operators and air traffic controllers all joining the protest.

There are reports of a row between the Greek government and the IMF, which is increasingly taking a hard line”

It follows a series of demonstrations in Spain and Portugal, which are also facing stringent austerity measures.

On Tuesday, 38 people were arrested and 64 injured in demonstrations in the Spanish capital, Madrid, where police fired rubber bullets outside the parliament building - two days before the government is due to announce further austerity measures. The Bank of Spain says the country's recession is deepening at a "significant pace"

Portugal is holding an extraordinary cabinet meeting after big protests forced the government to withdraw a plan to raise employees' tax rates

Cuts 'unfair'

Greece needs the next 31bn-euro instalment of its international bailout, but with record unemployment and a third of Greeks pushed below the poverty line, there is strong resistance to further cuts.

The government of conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is proposing to save money by slashing pensions and raising the retirement age to 67.


The BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens describes the scene of clashes between police and some protesters
But it has also urged the troika representing Greece's lenders - the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - to give it an extra two years to push the austerity programme through.

On Tuesday the Greek Finance Minister, Yannis Stournaras, put a price on that delay for the first time - saying it would in effect cost as much as 15bn euros.

Banks and historic sites in Athens remained shut on Wednesday, with many shopkeepers expected to close up early so they could attend demonstrations.

Schools and government services were also closing down, though buses were still running, reportedly to help ferry people to the protests.

The strike was called by the country's two biggest unions, which between them represent half the workforce.

A survey conducted by the MRB polling agency last week found that more than 90% of Greeks believed the planned cuts were unfair and a burden on the poor.

But some, such as teacher Beverly Storey, who has lived in Greece for 20 years, say striking is the wrong way to ensure Greece's crippling debt is reduced - as Greece's poorest workers cannot afford to strike.

Rather, the government should target well-paid civil servants, she said - even if it risked alienating an influential voter base in the process.

"Greece needs to be brought down to its knees in order to be reborn again," said Ms Storey.

Leave the euro?
Greece is currently trying to qualify for the next instalment of its 130bn-euro bailout, which is backed by the IMF and the other 16 euro nations.

Greece was given a 110bn-euro package in May 2010 and a further 130bn euros in October 2011.

That money is paid in instalments, but correspondents say the lenders are reluctant to stump up the latest slice, as they feel Greece has not made enough effort to meet its deficit-reduction targets.

Greece needs the new money to make repayments on its debt burden. A default could result in the country leaving the euro.

The anachists who are throwing petrol bombs are just idiotic morons.

Why dont they start building something they want instead of attacking something they dont want. Throwing fire bombs increases security more laws etc.

Instead everyone should be planting crops for food on every bit of spare land, start organizing soup kitchens for community,and start building a grass root movement that just gets on with an alternative life ignoring the state altogether.

They do.

The state doesn't ignore them, especially if they are organising themselves.

Next 'bright' idea?

oioioi wrote: Remind us where you live, oioioi, just so that it's clear to the uninitiated and people who are new to the site.

Athens.