First day in Athens

Today was a crazy day in Athens! There was a riot down town with between 20,000-40,000 people! It was huge! They were all protesting about the government/economy crisis in front of a parliament building. It was interesting to see the variety of people that were involved. There were old men, parents, college students, teenagers, and even a few children (and of course the dogs that wander around the streets). They were carrying flags while chanting "thieves" and "we're never going to pay!" When we walked through the crowd there were tipped over garbage bins, burnt trash cans, and litter covering the streets. The police were guarding every entrance to the building. They had shields and masks on because the protestors had been spitting and throwing Molotov Cocktails all over the place. When the protestors got slightly out of hand, the poilce even sprayed tear gas! We had to hold scarves over our mouths and squint our eyes to prevent from coughing and crying. Luckily we made it and we are still alive! haha but don't worry mom and dad, it wasn't that bad! :) It was definitely an experience though!