- Title: Greek police teargas pensioners protesting in Athens
- Date: 3rd October 2016
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (OCTOBER 3, 2016) (REUTERS) HUNDREDS OF PENSIONERS GATHERED IN SQUARE FOR PROTEST PENSIONER HOLDING UP FLAG PENSIONERS HOLDING UP BANNER PENSIONER'S FACE PENSIONER SPEAKING ON PODIUM AT PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PENSIONER, PANAGIOTIS AMOUGIOS, SAYING: "We are fighting to have a dignified pension in our old age. We have been working for forty years in order to have a decent pension and today they are constantly making reductions. And Ms. Velculescu is asking for more, new, reductions in our pensions. Why? Where is the money we have been submitting all these years?" VARIOUS OF HUGE CROWDS OF PENSIONERS MARCHING THROUGH CITY CENTRE WITH BANNERS PENSIONERS AT HEAD OF PROTEST BEHIND BANNER SHOUTING (Greek): "WE CAN'T LIVE ON 400 EUROS!" PENSIONERS AT HEAD OF MARCH BEHIND BANNER WAVING THEIR FISTS IN THE AIR AND SHOUTING PENSIONER WAVING HIS CANE IN THE AIR SHOUTING (Greek): "WE CAN'T LIVE ON 400 EUROS!" VARIOUS OF PENSIONER WALKING IN MARCH WITH HIS CANE PENSIONERS PASSING PARLIAMENT PENSIONERS STANDING IN FRONT OF POLICE BLOCKADE, WITH POLICE BUSES BLOCKING THE STREET VARIOUS OF PENSIONERS SHOUTING AT POLICE (Greek): "SHAME! SHAME!" VARIOUS OF PENSIONERS PUSHING AGAINST POLICE SHIELDS VARIOUS OF PENSIONERS ROCKING POLICE BUS IN AN EFFORT TO TOPPLE IT OVER POLICE HOLDING BACK PENSIONERS WITH THEIR SHIELDS PENSIONERS TRYING TO TOPPLE OVER POLICE BUS TEAR GAS BEING SPRAYED AT PENSIONERS, OBJECTS BEING THROWN AT POLICE OFFICERS, OFFICERS FORM WALL WITH SHIELDS, TEARGAS SMOKE FILLS AIR PENSIONERS PUSHING POLICE, THROWING WATER AT POLICE, KICKING POLICE SHIELDS, SHOUTING AND SWEARING AT POLICE POLICE HOLD THEIR GROUND PENSIONER SHOUTS AT POLICE TO OPEN THE ROAD, PROTESTER THROWS STREET BOLLARD AT POLICE, PENSIONERS SHOUTING AT POLICE VARIOUS OF PROTESTER TRYING TO HOLD BACK OTHER PENSIONERS FROM POLICE CORDON
- Embargoed: 18th October 2016 13:27
- Keywords: Athens protest pensioners teargas austerity
- Location: ATHENS, GREECE
- City: ATHENS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA00152GAZ47
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Greek police on Monday (October 3) fired tear gas to control a demonstration of pensioners protesting over cutbacks to their benefits, part of an austerity drive requested by international lenders.
About 1,500 pensioners attempted to march to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' office. Riot police blocked their path.
Tensions flared when dozens of pensioners attempted to push over a police bus blocking their way a few hundred metres (yards) from Tsipras' office.
The angry protesters pushed against the police cordon of raised shields, throwing water and other objects at riot police, and shouting "Shame!" as they attempted to tip over the police bus. Police responded with tear gas.
"We are fighting to have a dignified pension in our old age. We have been working for forty years in order to have a decent pension and today they are constantly making reductions. And Ms. Velculescu is asking for more, new, reductions in our pensions. Why? Where is the money we have been submitting all these years?" said Greek pensioner Panagiotis Amougios, referring to Delia Velculescu, leader of the IMF team in Greece reviewing the government's reform programme.
The left-led government is expected to submit its budget for 2017 in parliament on Monday evening.
Greece has been reeling from the impact of painful austerity for the past seven years, required by creditors as a remedy for years of financial mismanagement which culminated in three international bailouts.
Pensioners have been particularly hit, with many benefits pared as taxes have spiked. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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