Greek protesters confronted by police

Greek riot police have clashed with angry demonstrators protesting the government's decision to force through a high property tax to urge international lending inspectors provide Greece with aid. Over 1,000 anti-austerity protesters were confronted with tear gas and some were arrested by security forces when they whistled and jeered on the steps of parliament where all of Prime Minister George Papandreou's 154 Socialist deputies pushed the measure through in the 300-seat assembly, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The vote was aimed at winning an 8-billion-euro ($11 billion) loan from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Greece needs the international aid in order not to run out of cash in October and to boost the county's revenues. The protestors say that the new tax law on homes and commercial properties will put a hard burden on the shoulders of ordinary citizens. Speaking at the Federation of German Industry meeting in Berlin on Tuesday, Papandreou said he was positive that the country could meet the demands of foreign creditors. “I can guarantee that Greece will live up to all its commitments,” Papandreou promised, saying that the Greeks will “fight our way back to growth and prosperity.” Since 2010, the EU and the IMF have provided Greece with two rescue packages worth over $380 billion in return for tough austerity measures. The popular support for Papandreou and his socialist government has dropped sharply since June when they started to push tighter austerity measures in the country.