Thousands of people across the world railed against corporate power, grinding poverty and government cuts Saturday as the Occupy Wall Street movement spread to the streets of Europe, Asia and Australia -- and took a particularly violent turn in Rome.

Greece faces a crucial test this week with much of the country expected to be shut down by a 48 hour strike that will culminate on Thursday as parliament votes on a sweeping package of austerity measures demanded by international lenders, - Reuters reported.

Greece's two main unions, representing about half of the four million-strong workforce, have promised one of the biggest strikes since the start of the crisis two years ago, hitting food and fuel supplies, disrupting transport and leaving hospitals run by skeleton staff.

Prime Minister George Papandreou, trailing badly in opinion polls, has defied the protests, pledging to push through a deeply unpopular package that includes tax hikes, pay and pension cuts, job layoffs and changes to collective pay deals.