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Greek police oust workers occupying headquarters of defunct state broadcaster Posted: November 7, 2013 | Author: SOZ | Filed under: Uncategorized |Leave a comment » By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS Associated Press November 07 http://greekleftreview.wordpress.com/2013/11/07/greek-police-oust- workers-occupying-headquarters-of-defunct-state-broadcaster/ ATHENS, Greece In a pre-dawn swoop Thursday, Greek riot police ended a nearly five-month protest by sacked workers broadcasting from what was once the headquarters of the defunct ERT state broadcaster, removing a few dozen people occupying the complex. Police said four people were briefly detained during the operation in the northern Athens suburb of Agia Paraskevi. About 50 people were removed from the building, which will be handed over to ERTs successor that is now broadcasting from cramped studios in another part of Athens. Among the detainees was radio journalist Nikos Tsimbidas, who was broadcasting live as police entered the studio. Believe me, its a shocking experience to be on the mic with two platoons of riot police surrounding the live broadcasting booth, he said on air. We are being removed, Ive just been informed that it appears orders have been given for me to stop talking. The evacuation was peaceful, although police later used tear gas to push back a crowd of about 200 who turned up outside the complex to support the former ERT workers. The main opposition Syriza radical left coalition protested the illegal police operation, with several Syriza lawmakers joining protesters outside the building. PHOTO: Parliament Member of Syriza, main opposition party Nikos Voutsis scuffles with police as he tries to pass from a block near ERT's headquarters in the northern Athens suburb of Agia Paraskevi, Greece early Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013. Greek police said they have removed the remaining former workers from what used to be the headquarters of the now-defunct ERT state broadcaster. The building had been occupied by the protesting ex-employees for the past five months. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Parliament Member of Syriza, main opposition party Nikos Voutsis scuffles with police as he tries to pass from a block near ERTs headquarters in the northern Athens suburb of Agia Paraskevi, Greece early Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013. Greek police said they have removed the remaining former workers from what used to be the headquarters of the now-defunct ERT state broadcaster. The building had been occupied by the protesting ex- employees for the past five months. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) The government has created a black page in the history of state television and democracy in our country, a party statement said. Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said the evacuation was to restore the rule of law. The complex had been occupied by the protesting ex-employees since June 11, when Greeces conservative-led government abruptly closed ERT and fired all 2,700 staff, citing the need to cut costs due to the countrys severe financial crisis. They continued to produce unauthorized broadcasts online, including airing news reports and documentaries. These ended Thursday, although regional former ERT branches were still broadcasting their own unauthorized programs. The broadcasting complex had been illegally occupied, and that resulted in daily financial losses for the Greek state, Kedikoglou said. The (police) intervention was carried out in the presence of a prosecutor. ERTs abrupt closure triggered a political crisis that prompted a junior left-wing ally to walk out of the governing coalition, amid daily protests in Greece and international condemnation. The former workers had turned down repeated government calls to leave the ERT headquarters so that full-scale state broadcasts can resume from the complex. However, the bulk of ERTs journalists and many other staff, despite initial vows to fight the broadcasters closure, were eventually rehired by DT, ERTs successor. Former ERT staff have called for a protest near the Agia Paraskevi building later Thursday. my radio shack: http://www.ipernity.com/doc/zliangas/album/282394 http://delicious.com/gr_greek1/zak (all my pages )
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