SouthCoast Today - 11/08/12, AP
Backdropped by tear gas thrown by police, protesters throw stones towards the direction of riot police officers, near the parliament during clashes in Athens on Wednesday. Petros Giannakouris/The Associated Press
ATHENS, Greece — An anti-austerity demonstration by more than 80,000 people in Athens degenerated into violence Wednesday as hundreds of protesters clashed with riot police ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote on new spending cuts.
The vote is the toughest test yet for the country's fragile four month-old coalition government, which must pass the 13.5 billion euro ($17 billion) package of measures to ensure Greece continues receiving bailout loans and avoids bankruptcy.
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