With record unemployment and a third of Greeks pushed below the poverty line, there is strong resistance to further cuts.
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Tens of thousands of people have gathered outside Greece's parliament as part of a day-long general strike to protest against new austerity measures.
The trade union-led action is the first since Greece's 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.
Wednesday's strike has brought the whole country to a standstill, says the BBC's Mark Lowen in Athens, with doctors, teachers, tax workers, ferry operators and air traffic controllers all joining the protest.
It follows a series of demonstrations in Spain and Portugal, which are also facing stringent austerity measures.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19724284
Note: 26 September 2012 Last updated at 10:45 GMT