Greek Protests Bad Omen for UK's Cameron

With massive and violent protests erupting all over Greece, British Prime Minister David Cameron fears that similar unrest may spread to the United Kingdom

Great Britain is facing austerity measures similar to those that so upset the Greek people.

The UK, although in less financial trouble, was not immune to the types of troubles that bankrupted Greece, and the country is trying to raise 111 billion pounds ($177 billion) to counteract its deficit.

Many of us have been looking at our TVs and seeing what's happening in Greece, Cameron told the British media.

We have inherited a simply unsustainable economic situation. We are borrowing more this year than Greece is. You can get your finances under control, or stick your head in the sand and wait for the IMF to sort them out for you.

The Greek vote coincidentally occurred one day before four major British unions plan to stage a 24-hour nationwide strike. Thursday's rally could see as many as 1 million people leave work to protest similar austerity measures currently under negotiation in the UK.

At present, labor leaders and the UK government are attempting last-ditch negotiations to reach a resolution over a public pension dispute. If an agreement is reached, the June 30 strike will be called off. If the talks collapse, there will likely be social unrest all throughout the summer, with more protests and organized rallies.

Aside from what's happening across Europe, Cameron is looking to recent history to determine the nation's political future.

Perhaps indicative of what might happen should the strike fail, a similar organized protest in London in March erupted into a fight between self-proclaimed anarchists and the police. During a nearly 500,000-person march from Piccadilly Circus to Hyde Park to Parliament, isolated clashes between with the police lead to 214 arrests and 31 injured police officers, one of whom needed immediate medical attention.

Police fired tear gas at the anarchists, who in turn threw rocks, bottles, paint and light bulbs filled with ammonia at the officers.

On Piccadilly, across the street from the Ritz Hotel, people wearing scarves and t-shirts over their faces broke the windows of an HSBC bank and a Starbucks, while spray-painting everything they could find, including telephone booths, mail boxes, storefronts and even the street itself.

The instigators also stormed and occupied luxurious department store Fortnum & Mason and a number of clothing stores on Oxford Street.