Award of Excellence
Louisa Gouliamaki
Agence France-Presse
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"PROTESTERS"
Protesters take to the streets over over austerity measures. Over the last decade, Greece went on a debt binge that came crashing to an end in late 2009, provoking an economic crisis that has threatened both Europe’s recovery and the future of the euro. Since then, Greece has relied on a package of €110 billion, or $152.6 billion, agreed to by richer European Union countries. The price was a series of austerity measures meant to cut its bloated deficit and restore investor confidence. Mass demonstrations, including two months of the main square occupation and the 'indygnant' movement often turned violent in 2011 as Parliament barely passed the additional austerity measures demanded by EU to keep the bailout money flowing. Prime Minister George A. Papandreou stepped down in November 2011 as handed power to a technocrat-led government of unity.
*** A protester shouts in front of riot police cordon protecting the Greek Parliament on June 15, 2011. Thousands of protesters ringed the Greek parliament building on Wednesday as the government tried to push through its emergency package inside and a general strike paralysed the country. | 
