Greek police storm Acropolis protesters
Greek police have fired tear gas and charged at workers who had occupied the Acropolis in Athens in a protest over unpaid wages and lay-offs.
TV images showed police chasing the culture ministry workers around the ancient monument.
Dozens of workers had shut down the Acropolis on Wednesday morning, demanding two years of back pay.
They had barricaded themselves inside, padlocked the entrance gates and refused to allow in tourists.
The protesters said they intended to blockade the Acropolis, Greece's most famous tourist attraction, until 31 October. They have vowed to return to the site on Friday.
Greece has seen waves of strikes and protests over austerity measures agreed by the government to in order to secure a huge bail-out from eurozone countries.
Court order
As well as the back-pay issue, the workers are angry that about 320 temporary staff will lose their jobs when their contracts expire at the end of the month. They want the staff to be given permanent contracts.
"All our colleagues stand beside us, so the monument will not operate today no matter what happens," Nikos Hasomeris, one of the leaders of the striking workers, told Greek television earlier....
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TV images showed police chasing the culture ministry workers around the ancient monument.
Dozens of workers had shut down the Acropolis on Wednesday morning, demanding two years of back pay.
They had barricaded themselves inside, padlocked the entrance gates and refused to allow in tourists.
The protesters said they intended to blockade the Acropolis, Greece's most famous tourist attraction, until 31 October. They have vowed to return to the site on Friday.
Greece has seen waves of strikes and protests over austerity measures agreed by the government to in order to secure a huge bail-out from eurozone countries.
Court order
As well as the back-pay issue, the workers are angry that about 320 temporary staff will lose their jobs when their contracts expire at the end of the month. They want the staff to be given permanent contracts.
"All our colleagues stand beside us, so the monument will not operate today no matter what happens," Nikos Hasomeris, one of the leaders of the striking workers, told Greek television earlier....