Anarchy in Athens

Rioters in the Greek capital have burned buildings and tried to storm the parliment. Is there an end in sight to the violence?

Anarchy descended on Athens Wednesday as demonstrations against strict new austerity measures turned ugly, leaving three dead. Rioters burned buildings in the city center and attempted to storm parliament, protesting the tax hikes and budget cuts that were conditions of the EU's $141 billion bailout of the bankrupt country. The turbulence signals nothing less than the "breakdown of a political system," says The Economist. This could mark the start of a "new generation of self-styled Robin Hoods practicing both political and criminal violence." There's a lesson here for America's high-spending government, says Tom Bemis in MarketWatch. Just "look at Greece to see how bad things can get." Watch the thousands of Greek demonstrators here:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up