Greek strikers march on parliament against cuts

Anger may have receded since the shock of big government wage cuts and tax hikes that came in an agreement with the EU and IMF immediately preceding the last big protest.

Many Greeks also said they had been put off by the raw violence of the May 5 march when three bank workers, including a pregnant woman, were killed after rioters smashed windows and lobbed petrol bombs into the branch where they worked.

Some 25,000 people marched through central Athens and gathered in front of parliament, about half the number of those who turned out for the previous big demonstration.

"Thieves come out", and "bring back the stolen money and get out of there", protesters chanted outside parliament as riot police carrying batons and shields ringed the steps of the neo-classical building.

But after an hour most of the crowd melted away and riot police filed off soon after.

The strike was called by unions representing 2.5 million workers, half the country's workforce, who want the government to withdraw austerity measures agreed with the EU and IMF in return for a 110 billion-euro ($137 billion) emergency loan.