Thousands take to streets in May Day protests focussed on austerity program
(1 May 2012) Athens 1. Wide high angle shot of demonstrators marching 2. Close-up of demonstrators shouting slogans 3. Various of demonstrators marching 4. Demonstrators sitting next to banner showing raised fist 5. ADEDY public sector union president Kostas Tsikrikas speaking with people 6. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Kostas Tsikrikas, ADEDY public sector union president: "The problems we face today are as big as they have been in the past. Unfortunately the harsh austerity policies that are imposed in our country by the troika are policies that take us back by a century. They cancel rights that have been attained with the workers'''' struggles and sacrifices." 7. High angle shot of rally; pans right to show rally 8. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Eli Patazopoulou, Vox Pop: "The only solution to the crisis right now are our struggles, if we will impose the writing-off of the debt, if the worker becomes self-regulated and we stop the memorandum, not because we will elect a government that will want it and will go to negotiate with the bankers, but because the workers in each job will stop the measures and will take the economy into their own hands." 9. Various of protesters marching Aspropyrgos 10. Mid of protesters holding flags on highway near factory where workers marked 6 months of being on strike 11. Mid of red flags being flown 12. Wide of large crowds walking toward May Day rally 13. Wide of band performing traditional May Day songs about workers'''' rights 14. Wide of protesters sitting outside the Hellenic Halyvourgia steel factory 15. Close of performer singing with red carnation in the foreground 16. SOUNDBITE (Greek) Thassos Vourtsis, retired electrician: "My pension hasn''''t been issued yet and I completed the application five months ago, I hear from fellow pensioners that every month they''''re getting less and less. I have no idea what I''''ll be receiving, my expectations were entirely different." 17. Mid of crowd listening to band 18. Close of woman and man cheering with hands up in the air Athens 19. Close-up of firefighter hose spraying water 20. Wide of riot police and firefighters at scene with fire truck on street 21. Damaged kiosk and firefighters 22. People removing political billboard with anarchist symbol spray painted on it 23. Close-up political fliers and other papers on floor inside kiosk 24. Close-up woman''''s hands arranging fliers 25. Wide of kiosk with woman arranging fliers on table while others are seen on ground 26. Pan down damaged kiosk 27. Close-up of political party leader seen on ripped banner 28. Wide damaged kiosk STORYLINE: More than 2,000 Greeks marched through central Athens in May Day protests on Tuesday centred on the debt-crippled country''''s harsh austerity programme. Minor scuffles broke out in Athens when young men targeted the street kiosks of political parties after a protest march, destroying two and partially burning another. There were no injuries. To the north of the capital in Aspropyrgos, thousands of communist-backed labour union supporters gathered to mark May Day at a factory where workers have been on strike for six months in protest at job cuts. The demonstrations come a few days ahead of national elections on Sunday, after a campaign dominated by the past two years of economic pain that followed the debt crisis. No party is expected to secure a governing majority in the election, while it remains unclear whether squabbling party leaders will be able to strike a power-sharing deal. Several hundred more anarchists and students were holding a separate march. Previous demonstrations have turned violent. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
