While Eurozone finance ministers were negotiating Greece’s future, a rush of solidarity for Greece spread around the globe… Thousands of citizens gathered in the freezing cold, warmed by their collective strength and the “Breath of Dignity”. Sources speak of 10,000 people who went to the pro-government rally organized through social media to show their support for the Greek government’s efforts at the Eurogroup meeting on Wednesday. The event, titled “Breath of Dignity”, saw thousands carrying anti-austerity banners. “Merkel leave the E.U.” was one of the slogans shouted in a rally that led to the German Embassy.
Government spokesman Gavriil Sakellaridis said that 10 mln Greek citizens are at Eurogroup and the EU summit, not just Greek officials. “Hope sent away fear,” he said.
On his Twitter account, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras wrote: “In cities around Greece and Europe, the people are battling for negotiations!”
Protest gatherings took place in Greece cities, such as Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Volos, Larisa, kalamata, Lamia, Rethymnon, Florina and Cyprus.
In Thesaloniki, thousands gathered outside the White Tower, closing downt Nikis Avenue, on the coast around the White Tower, causing traffic jams in the surrounding streets.
Hundreds of citizens also gathered at the square of Tripolis, Perivolakia at Corinth, the central square of Kalamata and other cities around the Peloponnese.
At Heraklion Crete they gathered at Freedom (Eleftheria) Square despite the chill and rain that couldn’t hold back the people of Crete from showing their support. Hundreds of citizens gathered at Chania, Crete, at the Municipal Market Square. Workers of the Greek national radio network (ERA) asked for the reoperation of the Greek Radio and Television Network (ERT).
Cities of Epirus also were flooded with people. “We are not being threatened! We will not back down! We are WINNING!” they wrote on banners.
Thousands of Europeans also took to the streets with separate pro-Greek rallies in Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Lausanne, Rome, Lisbon, Berlin, paris, Vienna, Budapest, Madrid, Helsinki and other cities at the same time that EU finance ministers were debating Greece’s debt on Wednesday.
“Scotland is beside Greece,” noted the organizers’ website that called protestors to gather outside the Parliament of Edinburgh.
In Denmark, they said “No to blackmailing Europeans in Greece. We are on Greece’s side in the battle against austerity.”
Solidarity for Greece was felt as far as Brazil and other rallies were held in New York where humanitarian, cultural, political and unionist organizations gathered outside the EU Representation’s office and the United Nations Organization.
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