14 Oct 2010

Greek police storm workers occupying Acropolis

9:31 pm on 14 October 2010

Greek police have fired tear-gas and charged at workers occupying the Acropolis in Athens in a protest over unpaid wages and layoffs.

TV images showed police chasing the culture ministry workers around the ancient monument, the BBC reports.

Dozens of workers had shut down the Acropolis on Wednesday morning, demanding two years of back pay. They barricaded themselves inside, padlocked the entrance gates and refused to allow in tourists.

They said they intended to blockade the Acropolis, Greece's most famous tourist attraction, until 31 October.

The Associated Press reported that dozens of bemused tourists hoping to visit the site watched the police operation unfold, some of them taking pictures of the officers.

Greece has seen waves of strikes and protests over austerity measures agreed by the government in order to secure a huge bail-out from eurozone countries.