ATHENS, Greece — Greek anger over new austerity measures erupted into flaming protests today in Athens, as rioters tried to storm Parliament, hurled Molotov cocktails at police and torched buildings.

Three people were killed in the melee, trapped in a burning bank.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets as part of nationwide strikes to protest new taxes and government spending cuts demanded by the International Monetary Fund and other European nations before heavily indebted Greece gets a bailout to keep it from defaulting.

In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel called the bailout critical for all of Europe.

"Nothing less than the future of Europe, and with that the future of Germany in Europe, is at stake," Merkel told lawmakers.

In the streets of the Greek capital, demonstrators chanted "Thieves, thieves!" as they attempted to break through a riot police cordon guarding Parliament and chased ceremonial guards away from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the building.

Tear gas drifted across the city center as rioters toss paving stones and fire bombs at police. Protesters set up burning barricades and torched cars and a fire truck.

Fire Brigade spokesman Panayiotis Falaras said three bodies were found in the wreckage of a Marfin Bank branch, and another five people were rescued from the burning building's balcony.