Greece braces for general strike

Offices were closed and public transport on land and sea across Greece was seriously disrupted early Wednesday as a mass general strike got under way against government austerity plans. Hundreds of demonstrators belonging to the popular protest group calling itself "The indignants", modelled on a similar mobilisation in Spain, flooded into the central Syntagma Square in Athens in front of parliament where members are debating a new austerity package. The square was awash with Greek national and Spanish flags and banners reading "Resist" and the battle cry from the Spanish civil war, "No pasaran" (They shall not pass). Protest organisers, who have been camping out in the square for the past three weeks, said a human chain would be formed round the legislative chamber as deputies started debating a new controversial round of austerity cuts. Early Wednesday police had erected a metal barrier across the street leading to the parliament building and dozens of police vans were parked in front to allow the deputies unhindered access and keep at bay the crowd of protestors. Several main thoroughfares around parliament were also closed to traffic and pedestrians and the city centre was also cordoned off. Rallies called by trade unions were due to begin in the late morning. Tension has been rising in Greece in the past few days with protestors voicing their discontent over plans for a new wave of spending cuts and tax hikes. The austerity measures are needed to secure a new package of financial help from creditors and debate on the cuts opens in the Greek parliament on Wednesday. Eurozone finance ministers failed to reach accord at talks on Tuesday on a second bailout package to avert a Greek default. Opinion polls show most Greeks have lost confidence in their country's government and a political and judicial system that has conspicuously failed to root out endemic corruption.