Watch: Riots Break Out over Inflation in Athens, Molotov Cocktails Thrown at Police

Riots broke out in Athens as thousands of people protested in the Greek capital in response to the soaring inflation rates befalling the country.

Molotov cocktails and rocks were thrown at Greek police on Wednesday as workers went on another general strike, walking off the job for 24 hours to demand pay hikes to alleviate the growing cost of living crisis.

The strike resulted in public transport grinding to a halt, including ferry operations to Greece’s many small islands. Public schools were also shut down and some government hospitals were forced to run at reduced capacity over staffing shortages, Euronews reported.

“We’re demanding an appropriate increase in salaries as our wages have been hit radically by such high energy prices and living costs,” Dimitris Georgiou, a telecoms worker said per The Guardian.

“If you’re taking home €800 a month, it’s now down to €500 with all the hikes. The government has handed out subsidies but in effect a lot of those state funds have gone to companies. It’s vital that other support measures are introduced this winter.”

Clashes were seen between protesters and riot police during the demonstrations in Athens and Thessaloniki, with rioters being filmed throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at officers, who in turned fired tear gas and stun grenades. So far there have been no reports of any serious injuries, however.

Greece has been struggling under the weight of one of the highest levels of inflation in the eurozone, with inflation climbing to 12.1 per cent in September, resulting in the price of goods, particularly food soaring.

The main driver of the inflation has been the cost of energy, with natural gas prices in the country rising by a staggering 332 per cent over last year, while electricity prices rose by 30.5 per cent, and heating oil up 65.1 per cent.

The strikes in Greece come amid growing labour disputes throughout Europe, with other strikes being witnessed this month in France, Germany, Spain, and the UK.

This week, nurses at Britain’s NHS voted to go on a national strike over disputes over pay. The walkout, which is expected to occur at the end of the year, is set to impact patient services at hospitals, cancer wards, and children’s units across the country, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of ailing people.

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