A people's rally by tens of thousands of protesters in Central Athens in Greece turned violent and police used tear gas against small groups in running battles with stone-throwing youths. Marking the start of a 48-hour general strike against a Parliamentary vote on tough austerity measures, thousands of protesters have gathered outside Parliament in the capital where public transport ground to a halt. Prime Minister George Papandreou has said that only his 28 billion Euro austerity plan would get Greece back on its feet. If the package is not approved, Greece could run out of money within weeks. Without a new plan in place, the EU and International Monetary Fund say, they will withhold 12 billion Euros of loans which Greece needs to repay debts due in mid-July. The newly named IMF chief, Christine Lagarde, has urged Greek politicians to unite to avoid a debt default.