Anti-capitalism protests rock Italy, Greece

Protests broke out in Italy and Greece as people are experiencing increasingly aggravating living conditions, seeing a disastrous future for them and their families in a not far, but very close future.In Italy new Italian prime minister Mario Monti comfortably won a vote of confidence in his new government. The vote was held after Monti outlined new reform measures to dig the country out of a financial crisis that threatens the entire eurozone. Student protesters took to the streets in Milan when he first unveiled the measures, clashing with riot police and throwing flares at police as they tried to reach Bocconi University, Monti heads. There were similar scenes in Greece, where more than 50,000 demonstrators took to the streets to rally against the new government's austerity measures. Riot police retaliated against hooded protesters by firing tear gas during an anti-austerity march in Athens. The Greek protests came one day after a national unity government took office charged with imposing painful tax rises and spending cuts to avert bankruptcy. At least 50,000 people marched past shuttered shops in central Athens beating drums, waving red flags and chanting "EU, IMF out!". Youths hurled stones and petrol bombs at baton-wielding police. Schools, universities and many businesses stayed shut for the day and public transport was badly disrupted. It is the first public test for technocrat prime minister Lucas Papademos's fractious three-party coalition, who faces a Herculean task keeping his coalition united behind reforms required under a 130 billion euro bailout aimed at preventing a default.