LIVE BLOG on December 1st General Strike

15:12 Pics of today's demo in Thessaloniki from @alterthess could be seen here
15:09 Calm at Syntagma sq. now. Latest round of protests has moved on towards Omonia via @mkhalili  
14:56 Two cars set alight in the area of Exarhia. Fire truck has arrived and riot police officers are wearing their masks. via @mikroanalogo
14:38 Stencil on a wall in Syntagma: "Fight, Resist, Stop Moaning". Pic by @toVytio



14:30 Syntagma sq now: protesters walking past parliament. Pic by @mkhalili




14:20 Protesters now outside parliament. Pic by @mkhalili

14:18 Riot police next to the parliament. Pic by @mpodil

14:11 Members of political disobedience movement "I am not paying" join the demo. Pic by @mpodil



14:04 Stones hurled at far-right LAOS party's offices in Volos and bank branches were attacked in Patra 
13:48 In Thessaloniki's demo one police motorbike was set alight via @alterthess
13:20 Demonstrators playing music

13:10 According to police estimates, 12-15.000 people join PAME union, 1000-1500 join GSEE/ADEDY and 3000 join primary unions
13:03 Estimated crowd size at 10.000 people for PAME union members and 700 people for GSEE & ADEDY
12:25 PAME labour organization affiliated with Communist Party of Greece on its way to Syntagma sq. via @havelasl

12:19 Uni of Athens occupied by staff since yesterday via @doleross

11:55 Omonoia Square Now. Pic by @__KeyserSoze



11:45 Police ordered Syntagma and Panepistimio tube stations to remain closed. Traffic flow blocked around meeting points for the demos


A 24h general strike will take place today along with marches in Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities across the country. There've been numerous anti-austerity strikes but this one is the first since Lucas Papademos' new coalition government has been appointed. Greece's two major trade union bodies, GSEE (General Confederation of Workers) and ADEDY (Civil Servant's union Federation), the communist backed labour organization PAME and primary unions, are calling workers to demonstrate against the 2012 austerity budget in the context of the broader structural reforms imposed by IMF and EU that strip away workers' rights. For twitter updates use #1dgr and #rbnews hashtags