The rioting is bad, but it's really mostly just the work of a bunch of anarchist. 100k apparently turned out, but the vast majority were just out for a day of fun at the beck and call of their unions.
If I had to guess, I'd say the government is happy to see the black bloc types make a mess of things. The austerity program isn't popular, and the one thing that makes it more palatable for average Greeks is if the opposition to it are violent crazies willing to burn the country down.
This is all just a show to keep kicking the can down the road anyway. Greece won't live up to it's obligations, but Europe can't bail them out if they don't make it at least somewhat painful - otherwise the other failed Eurostates will line up for their bag of cash. No one should have any sympathy for the Greeks. They did this to themselves.
GREECE’S coalition government has expelled 43 deputies from its ranks in parliament, over dissent in a crucial debt vote.
The Socialists and conservatives expelled 22 and 21 lawmakers, respectively, from their parliamentary groups early on , reducing their majority in the 300-seat parliament from 236 to 193.
The vote is considered crucial for Greece to secure multibillion rescue packages and avoid bankruptcy next month.
A third coalition partner, the rightist LAOS party, effectively withdrew from the government on Friday after its leader publicly opposed the deal.
Actually the government appears to be falling apart. It just has not hit the major press wires yet.
The two Greek parties supporting the government of technocrat Prime Minister Lucas Papademos expelled more than 40 deputies on Monday for failing to back an austerity bill needed to avoid the country’s chaotic default.
The conservative New Democracy party said it had expelled 21 out of its total 83 deputies. The Socialist PASOK party expelled about 20 of its 153 lawmakers.
(source: Reuters0
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/02/13/parties-expel-rebel-deputies-after-austerity-vote/