Vandaag hebben veel Grieken het werk neergelegd in een van de grotere stakingen van het land. Zij protesteren hiermee tegen de onmenselijk bezuinigingen op zowat alle publieke en sociale voorzieningen, welk grotendeels onder de dwang van de Europese Unie moeten worden doorgevoerd. Duizenden mensen, onder andere leden van de linkse vakbond PAME, hebben vandaag in Athene een protestmars gehouden in het centrum. Al snel liep de demonstratie uit de hand en de politie greep zeer hard in en zette traangas en honden in om de menigte uiteen te drijven. De grootste vakbond van Griekenland, de GSEE, noemt zowel het beleid van de regering als het politie ingrijpen ‘onrechtvaardig en wreed’. 
Verklaring van het medische personeel die de demonstranten (waaronder een bijna dode) hebben verzorgd:
Public-Hospital Medical Doctors Union (Athens — Piraeus)
Nikaia General Hospital branch
Announcement
11/5/2011
Today we witnessed an endless and unthinkable brutality that the government of the “memorandums” (cc memorandum = the agreements of the Greek government with the ECB, the EU and the IMF) uses in order to suppress any reaction of citizens that resist the plots of international and domestic capital, that are employed by their loyal servants within the country.
Tenths of injured demonstrators, hit by the riot police, were brought by ambulances or by their own means to our hospital. Most of them were hit on the head. Amongst them a 30-year old demonstrator was brought in critical condition due to a vast epidural hematoma. This very moment he is undergoing a surgery and our colleagues are fighting to save his life.
We denounce the police abuse of power and brutality.
We hold all the members of the Greek Government and the Prime Minister responsible for the assassination attempt against this civilian who is in a critical life-threatening position and against all other injured demonstrators.
The violence and the oppression against the people will soon be defeated.
The government is threatening the life of the citizens both by enforcing brute violence and by devastating any social right, even those necessary for the mere survival of the people.
The only thing that they achieve is the strenthening of our will to fight till the end, so that our our people can enjoy bread, education and freedom.
We will not rest until those responsible for the assassination attempt are punished!
We will not rest until the people gain all that is rightfully theirs!