THOUSANDS of protesters marched yesterday through the streets of Athens and the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki in a 24-hour general strike.

Belgian workers also took action in the latest in a wave of protests throughout Europe over the last few months against the soaring cost of living. 

The strike in Greece disrupted services around the country, with ferries tied up in port — severing connections to Greece’s islands — state-run schools shut, public hospitals running with reduced staff and most public transport grinding to a standstill.