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Riot police storm Acropolis
RIOT police on Thursday stormed the Acropolis, Greece's best-known monument, to break up a blockade by protesting culture ministry staff that had kept the site shut this week.The police broke into the monument perimeter through a side entrance and pursued dozens of protesters, who grabbed onto fence railings to prevent their removal from the hilltop site overlooking central Athens. Police subsequently used tear gas to disperse media thronging the front entrance in order to surround the protesters. At least one protester was detained and the police were progressively evacuating the site as a number of tourists snapped pictures, an AFP photographer said. 'Most protesters have been evacuated from the site and have moved outside the perimeter,' a police spokeswoman said. 'There is no more tension.' One tourist said he sympathised with the protesters' claims. 'I am OK with the protest, but from the other side, we came here to visit the Acropolis and we can't. This is of course bothering me. I hope that the problem will be solved today, that is what we were told,' said the man from Germany, who did not give his name. The union representing temporary culture ministry staff began the blockade on Tuesday to protest the imminent dismissal of 320 fixed-term employees whose contracts expire at the end of the month. They also want the state to settle unpaid salaries which they say are worth five million euros (S$9 million) over two years. The protesters had intended to blockade the Acropolis until October 31 and their union leader pledged on Thursday to continue the mobilisation. 'The protest will continue, the head of temporary ministry staff Nikos Hasomeris said after the police operation. 'The authorities must accept their responsibilities. Today they destroyed the archaeological site,' he said.
Posted by: Fred 2010-10-15 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=307619 |