by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Greek workers marched in the center of Athens and other cities across the country on Tuesday to mark May Day and protest the harsh austerity imposed since 2010 to tackle the debt crisis.
Greece is expected to exit in August the bailout programs which kept her afloat under tough terms.
Despite the improved financial indexes, unions and workers joined a 24-hour general strike on Tuesday to protest their daily difficulties.
However, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expressed optimism towards Greece's future in an e-mailed message for the day, saying Greece is turning page and the future will be better.
He also pledged to further reduce unemployment, saying "The protection of employment and social cohesion are prerequisites of Democracy."
Protestors on Tuesday also chanted anti-war slogans such as "Yes to work and living with dignity" and "no to austerity, no to imperialist wars" to protest against the latest U.S.-led attacks in Syria.
They marched to the Greek parliament and the U.S. embassy.
