Flights were grounded and schools were shut down, as were ministries, on Wednesday in Greece as private sector workers and civil servants went on strike across the nation in protest of the European Union backing wage decreases and tax increases as part of austerity measures. The 24-hour action was the first joint strike that public and private unions have called since October when the Socialist government won elections.

The unions represent about half of the 5 million strong workforce of the nation. The amount of participants is being seen as a barometer to measure how much ordinary Greeks are supportive of the government’s efforts to cut the deficit in order to fight a fiscal crisis, which has worried Greece’s EU neighbors and ruffled markets.

On Wednesday, Central Athens was covered with flyers and posters calling for Greeks to strike. The slogan read that people and their needs should come before the markets. Some shops even had their shutters down, while the traffic was much quieter than normal. Greek nationals gathered at bus stops, complaining about the disruption caused to public transportation. All flights were grounded for the exception of emergencies, while ferries stayed docked and trains remained idle as well. Public hospitals even had to use emergency staff since the regular staff were in the streets. Journalists became part of the strike too.

Protests and demonstrations are usually violent in Greece, and this strike held true to form. Police fired tear gas at protestors as clashes broke out, with demonstrators throwing plastic bottles and rocks near parliament at police.