(15 Dec 2010) 1. Various of riot police clashing with demonstrators in Athens street, Molotov cocktails burning, rocks thrown 2. Various of police, bus on fire, windows being broken 3. Wide of smoke rising from burning car 4. Wide of burnt cars outside luxury hotel 5. Riot police with Molotov cocktails going off in street 6. Riot policeman being kicked by protester 7. Wide of street with fires burning 8. Street with demonstrators marching 9. Police detaining demonstrator 10. Follow of police taking demonstrator away and detaining another demonstrator 11. Riot police pushing man 12. Fires burning in street near Polytechnic University 13. Riot police and protesters charging at each other and clashing 14. Wide of riot police having objects thrown at them 15. Protesters seen through smoke throwing objects 16. Wide of street scene with protesters throwing objects at riot police and garbage bins on fire 17. Riot police with garbage bins on fire 18. Wide of street outside Polytechnic University with bins on fire, smoke rising 19. Bin on fire with empty street in background 20. Pan from protesters to riot police outside Athens university 21. Rocks being thrown at riot police STORYLINE Protesters clashed with riot police across Athens on Wednesday, torching cars, hurling gasoline bombs and sending Christmas shoppers fleeing in panic during a general strike against the government's latest austerity measures. Police fired tear gas and flash grenades as the violence escalated outside parliament and spread to other parts of the capital. Angry unions triggered the 24-hour strike to protest new labour reforms and pay cuts as Greece struggles to reshape its economy under conditions set by a 110 (b) billion euro (146 (b) billion US dollar) international bailout. The strike also grounded flights, closed factories, disrupted hospitals and shut down trains, ferries and buses across the country. It was the seventh strike this year by unions appalled at a wave of austerity policies meant to pull Greece out of its worst financial crisis since World War II. In Athens, youths wearing black masks and ski goggles used sledgehammers to smash paving stones and hurled the rubble at police. Rioting youths torched several cars, overturned trash bins and vandalised storefronts, tossing Christmas decorations into the street. At least 10 people were detained on Wednesday and five were hurt, including a conservative politician who was beaten in the street by protesters. Two people were injured in Athens and three in Greece's second largest city, Thessaloniki, where another anti-austerity protest turned violent. Wednesday's violence erupted after 20-thousand protesters marched to parliament in Athens chanting "No sacrifice for the rich!" Crippled by high budget deficits and a mountain of debt, Greece was saved from bankruptcy in May by an international rescue loan package. In return, the Socialist government slashed pensions and salaries, hiked taxes, raised retirement ages and eased restrictions on private sector layoffs. Late on Tuesday, the government won a key vote in parliament on new labour reforms that include deeper pay cuts, salary caps and involuntary staff transfers at state companies. The new law also reduces unions' collective bargaining power in the private sector, allowing employers to substantially cut salaries. Unions said Wednesday's strike aimed to pressure the Socialists into slowing down the spending cuts they said were hurting average Greeks. Journalists are also holding a 24-hour strike, causing blackouts for TV, radio and internet news, and newspapers will not be published on Thursday. Further transport strikes are planned for Thursday and Friday. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/c551ecf7257c954c9926ecfc4e30579c Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork