Brutal repression in the Acropolis as riot police attack workers

The moment was acutely symbolic for a country that brags about itself as the cradle of democracy and indicative of the Greek government's loss of measure in face of the popular discontent over its austerity measures.

Contract workers of the Ministry of Culture were staging a protest since yesterday inside the Acropolis demanding no less than their wages, a demand which is becoming increasingly utopian in the current economic reality of Greece. The state owes them 24 months of worked wages and seems in no hurry to having its debt settled. The workers also demand the cancellation of 350 lay offs planned for the end of the month.

Instead, the Greek satrapy decided to pay back with force. Living up to the standards of the fastest growing tyranny in Europe, the Greek government sent its praetorian guard, the MAT forces to deal with the workers. The riot police entered the space of the Sacred Rock by a back door, effectively desecrating the asylum for the first time since the Nazi occupation.

The riot police forces threw tear gas at the workers beating them back with batons and handcuffing anyone who tried to stay in their working space. One Associated Press journalist has been injured due to the habitual police brutality whose wanton ferocity is evident in the videos below.

The Association of Archaeologists announced: "It is a dishonor for our country that its image of civilisation is the MAT inside the Acropolis using tear gas against workers who have been for years offering their services for the promotion and protection of civilisation, staying often for many months unpaid. The Association of Archaeologists supports its contract based colleagues of the Ministry of Culture in their just demands. It condemns the raw use of violence within a space which is a symbol of civilisation, and demands by the Home Office to intervene and guarantee the abolition of the 24months unpaid labour and the resolution of the burning issues of the Ministry of Culture employees who have led the workers to a blind end"

The attack of the MAT seen from the main entrance of the Acropolis can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dC18rUCNhw&feature=player_embedded

and

http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D6_Ru3oiLyHc%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded