Greek police arrested seven technicians and one journalist who attempted to restore the shutdown public broadcaster ERT on air. A group of former ERT personnel and supporters from opposition parties moved to Mount Hymettus in Eastern Athens and allegedly tried to switch the transmitter back on.
Hymettus protest banner “ERT belongs to people, nobody can muzzle it”
According to ERT personnel, a group of citizens launched a peaceful demonstration away from the trasmitter in order to protest the ERT shutdown.
The transmitter was on and ERT was back on analogue television for short time.
“This angered the rulers, who sent riot police squads who used violence against the peaceful citizens,” ERT personnel union POSPERT said in a statement.
Video:
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The 8 people in custody were taken to the prosecutor on Tuesday morning. They face charges of causing damage to public property (felony), disrupting the safety of communications, , defiance against police officers and reistance and threat to authorities.
former ERT personnel in handcuffs outside Athens court.
Supporters protest the arrest of the former ERT personnel.
former ERT producer protest the arrest of her colleagues
Greece’s public broadcaster ERT was shutdown overnight on June 11th 2013 with Samaras’ decision for reasons of ‘cleaning the public broadcaster from corruption and nepotism’.
Odd enough, the minister in charge who announced the shutdown, Simos Kedikoglou, hired his own girl friend to work at his office. (I will report about it later.)
Defiant ERT personnel continues to broadcast via the internet.
