Police clash with protesters as Greeks fight cuts

In one central square hundreds of protesters hurled sticks and stones at riot police, who responded by baton-charging the crowd and firing several rounds of teargas.

The clashes came after more than 20,000 protesters marched through Athens beating drums and chanting slogans such as "Plutocrats must pay for the crisis" to mark the second general strike in two weeks.

Groups of anarchists threw petrol bombs, smashed shop windows, damaged cars, set garbage containers on fire and hurled lumps of marble torn from steps of the Bank of Greece.

Two protesters and 13 police officers were slightly wounded and 16 protesters detained, police said. But the level of violence was much lower than in 2008 riots that paralysed Athens for weeks after the police killing of a teenager.

"Everybody is watching Greece to see the depth, intensity and sustainability of protests," said Theodore Couloumbis, deputy head of the ELIAMEP think-tank and a professor of international relations at the University of Athens.

"These protests are more than likely similar to the farmers' blockades earlier this year, which ran out of steam after a while," he said.

Participation in the Athens marches was slightly higher than in the previous nationwide strike on February 24 but not huge by Greek standards and much smaller than a 100,000-strong march against similar measures in the Irish capital last year.

"People understand we are going through difficult times," a senior government official said. By late afternoon, the streets had largely returned to normal.

EU politicians and credit rating agencies have broadly welcomed Greece's latest budget measures but have said quick and smooth delivery will be key to re-establishing the country's credibility diplomatically and as a borrower.