The Acropolis was closed for a third day today by a labour protest, and riot police were guarding the entrance to ensure Greece’s most famous monument could not be blockaded by striking workers.
Dozens of protesting Culture Ministry workers stood at the gates from shortly after dawn, complaining that they are owed up to two years’ worth of back pay and face dismissal when their short-term contracts expire at the end of the month.
The workers had been blockading the Acropolis since Wednesday, padlocking the gates and preventing anyone from entering.
Riot police fired tear gas to clear the entrance to the site yesterday morning, and deployed today to prevent another takeover.
Tourists hoping to visit the Acropolis’s 2,500-year-old monuments stood outside the gates, watching the stand-off.
AP
