Athens  - Greece prides itself on its history as the cradle of democracy and has long used that fact as a major tourism draw.

However, an influx of activist democracy that some say has gone too far - ongoing strikes paired with almost daily street demonstrations since last December - has been putting a crimp in that tourism industry.

Businesses, luxury hotels and automated teller machines are boarded up, access to Athens' ancient city centre is cut off to traffic and riot police stand guard at every street corner.

Athens  - Two policemen were shot and seriously wounded by unknown attackers in central Athens, reports said Friday.

It was not clear whether the shooting of the two policemen, who were on duty in a suburb in central Athens, was politically motivated.

In January, another officer was seriously wounded by a gunshot wounded inflicted while guarding Greece's minister of culture, weeks after the killing of a teenager by police.

Athens  - Flights to and from Greece were to be grounded for several hours and vessels were to remain anchored Thursday during a nationwide 24-hour strike to protest against the government's economic polices.

Under the slogan "employees should not pay for the crisis," the walkout was the second nationwide protest against the conservative government since riots broke out in December, triggered by the country's bleak economy and police shooting of a teenager.

Athens  - Air transport across Greece is set to be paralyzed and vessels will remain anchored at ports on Thursday after workers called a nationwide 24-hour strike to protest against the government's economic polices.

Air traffic controllers said they will walk off the job from 12 pm until 4 pm (0900 GMT until 1300 GMT), forcing the cancellation of dozens of international and domestic flights as part of a nationwide strike called by the country's private sector federation GSEE and public sector union ADEDY.

Athens - Unknown assailants attacked the offices of two deputy ministers and four politicians using petrol bombs and gas cannisters on Tuesday.

Reports said the attacks against the offices of the deputy ministers to interior and culture caused minor damage and no injuries. Details of the attacks on the four politicians' offices were not available.

The attack occurred shortly after unknown assailants attacked five bank branches on Tuesday.