Tourists have not been able to get into the monuments at the Acropolis
Greek police have fired tear gas and charged at workers who had occupied the Acropolis in Athens in a protest over unpaid wages and lay-offs.
TV images showed police chasing the culture ministry workers around the ancient monument.
Dozens of workers had shut down the Acropolis on Wednesday morning, demanding two years of back pay.
They had barricaded themselves inside, padlocked the entrance gates and refused to allow in tourists.
The protesters said they intended to blockade the Acropolis, Greece’s most famous tourist attraction, until 31 October.
Greece has seen waves of strikes and protests over austerity measures agreed by the government to in order to secure a huge bail-out from eurozone countries.
As well as the back-pay issue, the workers are angry that about 320 temporary staff will lose their jobs when their contracts expire at the end of the month.
One of the striking workers, Nikos Hasomeris, had earlier warned the authorities not to attempt to break the blockade by force.
“All our colleagues stand beside us, so the monument will not operate today no matter what happens,” he told Greek TV in comments carried by the AFP news agency .
Greek austerity measuresPublic sector pay frozen until 2014State pensions frozen or cut; contribution period up from 37 to 40 yearsAverage retirement age up from 61 to 63; early retirement restrictedTaxes on fuel, alcohol and tobacco up 10%
But police in riot gear arrived on Thursday morning after a court order said the protesters were hindering access to an ancient site.
TV footage showed the police entering the site using a side entrance.
They used tear gas to clear protesters and a group of journalists who had gathered at the main gate.
The Associated Press reported that dozens of bemused tourists hoping to visit ancient site watched the police operation unfold, some of them taking pictures of the officers.
“We know the workers have a right to protest, but it is not fair that people who come from all over the world to see the Acropolis should be prevented from getting in,” Spanish tourist Ainhoa Garcia told AP.
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