Greek lawmakers approved drastic spending cuts Thursday aimed at saving the country from bankruptcy, as protesters crowded around the parliament building in Athens to voice their opposition.
Thousands of demonstrators chanted and waved flags as the legislators debated the budget cuts. After the cuts were approved, protesters could be seen throwing objects at riot police, who fired tear gas and rushed the demonstrators to push them back from the main square.
Video from the scene showed demonstrators overturning newspaper vending boxes and setting fires on the streets.
On Wednesday, three people died after protesters set fire to a bank in central Athens.
Greece was required to adopt the $30 billion in cuts as part of a controversial $145 billion loan deal with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
The cuts include wage freezes, rollbacks in civil-service pensions and new requirements raising the retirement age for women to 65. Critics say the measures disproportionately hurt the poor.
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