Thousands of demonstrators gather outside the Greek public television and radio broadcaster ERT headquarters in Athens, June 11, 2013.<\/p>\n
Thousands of people have gathered outside the headquarters of the national broadcaster ERT in the Greek capital, Athens, in protest against a government decision to shut down the country’s main media outlet, Press TV<\/b> reports.\n<\/p>\n
Protesters rushed to the main headquarter of the broadcaster in a northern suburb of the capital on Tuesday after the government announced the closure.\n<\/p>\n
The move is part of the country\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s cost-cutting drive demanded by its international creditors, and will result in the loss of some 2,700 jobs.\n<\/p>\n
“ERT is a case of an exceptional lack of transparency and incredible extravagance. This ends now,” government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said at a news conference earlier in the day.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Greece\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s main trade unions, opposition parties, media groups, European and international journalists\u00e2\u201e\u00a2 unions have warned against the closure of the state broadcaster.<\/p>\n
Some 500 people also gathered outside the broadcaster\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Thessaloniki branch after news editors union Poesy called on private broadcasters to go on immediate strike.\n<\/p>\n
The Athens Journalists’ Union also called for a 48-hour strike to protest against the government\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s decision to close the broadcaster.\n<\/p>\n
ERT began broadcasting in 1938, running three domestic TV channels, four national radio stations, as well as regional radio stations and an external service, Voice of Greece.\n<\/p>\n
In April, the Greek parliament passed a bill to cut 15,000 state jobs by the end of 2014. The law was a condition for debt-stricken Greece to receive rescue loans from its European partners and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).\n<\/p>\n
On Monday, the troika delegation from the European Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank (ECB) went to Athens to hold fresh round of talks with the Greek government.\n<\/p>\n
Greece has been at the epicenter of the eurozone debt crisis and is experiencing its sixth year of recession, while harsh austerity measures have left tens of thousands of people without jobs.\n<\/p>\n
CV\/SAB\/PR\/HMV<\/p>\n<\/div>\n