ATHENS, Greece - Greek workers held a general strike against the government's austerity measures on Thursday, two weeks after the previous day of protests deteriorated into rioting in which three people died in a burning bank. Ferries stayed tied up at port, buses, the Athens metro and trains suspended services, and many banks were closed. Schools shut down while public hospitals were working with emergency staffing levels. Demonstrators are protesting against the harsh measures imposed by the cash-strapped government. Two protest marches also are planned in Athens, and police are bracing for violence. During Greece's last general strike on May 5, three workers ��" including a pregnant woman ��" died when a bank was torched by rioters. While minor riots and vandalism are frequent during demonstrations in Greece, they very rarely cause any injuries, and the three deaths caused widespread shock and condemnation. But it remained unclear whether that would deter further violence. The Athens Traders Association issued a letter to the government demanding that authorities ensure demonstrations remain peaceful. Storeowners across central Athens frequently see their shop windows smashed and stores vandalized during protest marches. "At a time when Greek commercial enterprise is struggling to survive, the commercial sector of Athens, the residents and visitors of the capital, are justifiably demanding that the repeated, and particularly the most recent tragic events, never happen again," the association said in a letter sent to top government ministers and judicial authorities. Public anger has grown against deep pension and salary cuts, as well as steep tax hikes, imposed in an attempt to pull Greece out of an unprecedented debt crisis. The measures were needed for Greece to receive a euro110 billion three-year rescue loan package from other European Union countries and the International Monetary Fund that staved off bankruptcy.
