Athens: At least 300,000 in biggest anti-austerity protest

At least 300,000 Indignant Greeks protested in Athens on Sunday in the biggest rally of the last three decades. The city’s downtown burst with men and women, young and old, employees and jobless, pensioners and self-employees, angry and frustrated about the IMF/EU/ECB Memorandum and the Greek government, outraged about the additional austerity measures. They chanted “Thieves!” and “Traitors” and “Get Out of Here”. Did the government receive the message? Frankly, I don;t think so…

Read what we reported earlier in our Live Blogging:

6.30 pm :Never ending crowds of people keep flocking to Syntagma Square. Half an hour after the start of the mass protest at 6 p.m. and the area in front of the Parliament is already overflooded with  people.

Greek media report of increased police forces around the Parliament.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, police set barricades between the Parliament building and the people.

Live Streaming:

Main avenues of Athens downtown have been closed to traffic.

Live Blog:

7.00 pm : Lots of Greek Flags, also Flags from Spain, Portugal and Argentina – Organisers have brought up megaphones – they call people not to chanting swearing slogans

7.05 pm: 35,000 protesters estinamed to be in front of the Greek Parliament

 Barriers in front of Greek Parliament

7.30 pm: Protesters estimated 40,000 – A river of people keep flowing out the Metro <Syntagma> Station

7.45 pm: You cannot even drop a needle

7.47 pm: Men, women, children, young, old – many Flags from Portugal – Banners – Crowds stand from Voukourestiou down to Zappeion , a radius of 600 m

8.10 pm Family with children came from Crete to join the protests as they can’t pay any more taxes

8.20 pm “I came to protest because I have no hope, no future” man, 45, two years jobless
Whistles, empty tops and even vuvuzelas – maybe politicians will listen after all

At 9 pm from Syntagma skype connection with Spain and Italy

8.30 pm: people keep joining the protest footage http://www.flickr.com/photos/nkdx/5800899016/

9.05 claims police used small scale tear gas at Koumpari str. as “Indignants” keept joining the protest – police Hq denies it

9.15 pm: more than 100,000 indignant Greeks -housewives, pensioners, jobless, students
“I will soon have no money to feed my children” woman, 40, since 6 months jobless

9.25 pm Slogans: “thieves” , “traitors” -there have been small scale attempts to provoke some incidents –

this is the biggest spontaneous & peaceful political rally of the last 3 decades!

9.30 pm police says 50,000 people currently, expected to double.
News information that police set baricades to hinder people from reaching Syntagma Sq. Indignants boo the police

9.40 pm Metro still closed at Syntagma Sq. – People getting out at Panepistimiou & Evaggelismos stations are hindered by police to reach Syntagma Square

10.05 pm Slogan “Eh Eh Eh, Oh Oh Oh, Take the Memorandum and Get out of Here!”

Indingant Greek Church

Tomorrow June 6, at 6 pm Syntagma Sq – Open discussion with academics about the IMF/EU/ECB Memorandum

Media speak of more than 100,000 people. Athens downtown is bursting!

10.22 pm: some speak of even more than 150,000 protesters – nobody seems like leaving the Square

Banner: “Merkel Cow, you won’t see a Drachma from Greece”

10.38 pm People keep coming at Syntagma Sq –
“I’m here because they destroyed Greece” man
“How can I live with 500 euro pension? and now they want me to pay taxes. Shoo!” man
“They must go away, they’re traitors” woman

Un-pre-ce-de-nted!

11.30 pm sorry for live streaming inconvenience! – we just ‘borrow’ the link – normally it returns a couple of minutes later

11.31 pm: Greek newspaper/online reports of 300,000 protesters at Syntagma Sq !!!

11.50 pm Protesters slowly withdraw from Syntagma Sq – Greek media report of more than 300,000 (some even of 500,000 ) Indignant Greeks who gather to send a loud message to the government. They shouted “No to Troika Memorandum, No to Greece’s sell-off, No to impoverishment – We don’t pay”. Did the Greek politicians receive the message?

Live Blogging says Good Night, Live Streaming continues !?

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