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Tens of thousands of demonstrators jammed central Athens and the northern city of Thessaloniki on Wednesday as a general strike to protest government plans to reform the country's debt-ridden pension system brought Greece to a standstill. A police helicopter flew overhead thousands of people ? some estimates put the number at 80,000 ? marched through central Athens in two separate demonstrations. In Thessaloniki, 30,000 people rallied, police said. Shopkeepers rolled down their shutters and bystanders raced for cover as riot police fired tear gas in clashes along the Athens demonstration route. Groups of youths hurled rocks at police, set garbage cans on fire and set a parked car alight.