LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Hundreds of largely unemployed Greek youths smashed and looted stores in central Athens. Demonstrators outside of parliament hurled chunks of marble and gasoline bombs at riot police. Authorities say at least 14 officers were hospitalized with injuries.

It' estimated that at least 100,000 people marched through the Greek capital on the first day of a two-day general strike that unions have described as the largest protest in years. Thick black smoke from burning trash and bus-stops set on fire filled Athens's skyline and obscured its ancient monuments.

The demonstrations have grounded flights, disrupted public transport and shut down shops and schools.

Greece says it will run out of money in a month without the $11 billion bailout money from its partners that use the euro and the International Monetary Fund - but international creditors are standing firm upon previously agreed-upon reforms before they give the nation its next infusion of cash.

All sectors of Greek society - from dentists, state hospital doctors and lawyers to shop owners, tax office workers, pharmacists, teachers and dock workers - walked off the job ahead of a Parliamentary vote on new austerity measures which include new taxes and the suspension of tens of thousands of civil servants.

In Parliament, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos told lawmakers that the Greek population has no choice - other than to accept the hardship.

"We have to explain to all these indignant people who see their lives changing that what the country is experiencing is not the worst stage of the crisis," he said. "It is an anguished and necessary effort to avoid the ultimate, deepest and harshest level of the crisis. The difference between a difficult situation and a catastrophe is immense."

At least 15,000 demonstrators also gathered in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city.

"We just can't take it any more. There is desperation, anger and bitterness," Nikos Anastasopoulos, head of a workers' union for an Athens municipality says.

"We can't make ends meet for our families," protester Eleni Voulieri says. "We've lost our salaries, we've lost everything and we're in danger of losing our jobs."

Ilias Vrettakos, deputy president of the civil servants' union ADEDY, says that such a broad cross-section of his society coming together to protest points to the enormity of the situation.

"The fact that other sections of society that are suffering from government policies are also participating gives a new dimension to the social resistance by workers and the people in general, and we hope that this mobilization will have an impact on political developments."

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