Athens, Greece (CNN) -- Huge crowds of protesters, upset about stringent Greek economic reforms, marched past the Greek Parliament in Athens Wednesday as police in white helmets tried to keep them from getting any closer.
The protest march entered Syntagma Square, which lies between the Parliament and Finance Ministry, and then left again just after midday.
Most of the marchers were peaceful, but a small number of violent protesters threw Molotov cocktails that burned two cars outside the upscale King George Palace hotel, which sits on one corner of the square. Police responded with stun grenades and tear gas, and the entire exchange left the square filled with smoke and an acrid smell.
The violent protesters left a trail of burning waste bins and lots of garbage and debris that they had thrown at police. At least one small fire burned briefly about a block away from the square.
After the marchers moved through, however, the tension was mostly over. Police still formed a line around the front of Parliament, but there was no traffic and only small groups of people milled around the square.
Wednesday is the climax of a week full of strikes by the country's unions against changes in labor laws and the introduction of wage cuts.
The new fiscal measures are required under the conditions of the massive bailout Greece received from the International Monetary Fund and European Union in May. The three-year, 110-billion-euro package saved Greece from financial default.
The country's two largest umbrella unions, the GSEE and ADEDY, which represent both the public and private sector, are behind the day of protests, according to Greece's Athens News Agency (ANA). CNN
