[ Ссылка ] Black-hooded protesters hurling stones and petrol bombs on Sunday battled Greece's parliament as lawmakers inside debated deeply unpopular austerity measures to secure a bail-out program aimed to stave off bankruptcy.

The clashes erupted at around 6 p.m. local time as at least 25,000 people streamed into Syntagma Square facing Parliament.

Several banks and shops in the center of the city are on fire, a spokesman for the national fire protection service said.

Riot police fired tear gas at protesters, RIA Novosti correspondent said.

Lawmakers are debating a bill setting out 3.3 billion euros (US$4.35-billion) in wage, pension and job cuts as the price of a 130-billion-euro rescue package from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, Greece's second since 2010. Greece needs the funds before March 20 to meet debt repayments of 14.5 billion euros.

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