Excerpts from The Guardian's

artappraiser — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:08:32 +0000

In reply to Bureaucracy in Greece Defies Efforts to Cut It

Excerpts from The Guardian's live blog on today in the streets:

4.42pm: The man who has died is now being named in Athens as Dimitris Kotsaridis, a construction worker and communist party unionist.

As our previous blog post should have made clear, the precise details of his death are still not clear.

4.36pm: Confusion is deepening around the death of the man in Athens. The hospital is now officially saying that he was not injured when he was brought to the hospital and died from natural causes.

Eyewitnesses are claiming that the man, a trade unionist, collapsed after being tear gassed by police in Syntagma Square.

Separately, the BBC is reporting that one trade union member was attacked by a group of other demonstrators, but it is not clear whether there is a link.

4.25pm: Doctors at Evangelismos Hospital are now confirming that a 53-year-old construction worker attending today's protest outside the 300-seat Parliament has died.

Helena Smith in Athens has the details:

It is not clear whether he died as a result of head wounds or a heart attack but what is known is that he was hit by a rock. Some 40 others were also rushed to the hospital with injuries some with very bad burn wounds to their feet.

This is the worst violence that Athens has seen in decades and has shocked MPS currently debating the package of deeply controversial EU/IMF dictated reforms inside the parliament. Fierce street fighting continues with squads of riot police in helmets and gas masks slugging it out with groups of rock-throwing youths who have set up make-shift barricades on the boulevards that run off Sytagma Square.

The fatality has cast a shadow over the vote and added to the explosive mood in Athens.

4.08pm: The reported death of a 53-year old protester has cast a dark shadow over Athens.

Parliament deputy speaker Anastasios Kourakis announced the death during a debate on the new bill ahead of a final vote later Thursday.

There had been fears of fatalities, following the deaths of three bank workers during another general strike in May 2010.

We must emphasise that it is not certain at this stage how the man died.

3.49pm: Greek media are now reporting that a man has died in Athens after being injured during today's protests.

Skai News says a 53-year-old construction worker died of a heart attack after he was hit by a rock.

More details as we get it.

Violent anti-austerity

artappraiser — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:02:43 +0000

In reply to Bureaucracy in Greece Defies Efforts to Cut It

Violent anti-austerity protests grip Greek capital (with video & slideshow,)

by Lefteris Papadimas and Yannis Behrakis in Athens, Reuters, October 19:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/19/us-greece-idUSTRE79H1FI20111019

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Excerpts from The Guardian's

Violent anti-austerity