Roads in central Athens reopened and vehicle traffic was restored on Wednesday afternoon, following the conclusion of protest rallies organised by Greek trade unions as part of a 24-hour general strike.
This included a rally held by the General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE), representing employees in the private sector, in Klafthmonos Square. They joined civil servants, unemployed persons, pensioners and young people in demanding the return of free collective bargaining and wage increases, as well as action against high prices and the housing crisis "that affect all Greeks".
There was also a rally at Propylea attended by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas.
Messages of solidarity with Greek workers were sent by international, European and some 25 national trade union confederations from abroad.
After the end of the speeches at Klafthmonos Square, there was a march to Parliament where representatives of GSEE presented a protest resolution to the president of Parliament. This marked the conclusion of strike rallies, attended by thousands of demonstrators, organised by labour centres, trade unions and trade union federations in Athens.