Police officers stage protest rally

The Federation of Police Employees (POASY) on Thursday held a protest march that began at the Attica police headquarters on Alexandras Avenue and made its way to the Citizens’ Protection Ministry in the neighborhood of Ambelokipi after passing by the European Union’s headquarters in Greece on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue.

The police officers were protesting austerity measures that will affect their pay and pensions, as well as what they called «institutional issues.”

The rally began at police headquarters on Alexandras Avenue, before heading to the EU office on Vassilissis Sofias, making a stop along the way at the Hilton Hotel where a team of inspectors from Greece’s creditors — the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund — are currently staying.

“On an economic level, we want to stress that we cannot take any more reductions to our salaries. Already we have seen losses of as much as 30 percent, which equals 300 to 500 euros, and any new loss of income would lead our colleagues to penury,» the general secretary of the federation, Vasilis Constantopoulos, said.

“We are also demanding that we too have the right to protest in a way that may manifest itself in a strike, without, of course, jeopardizing operations,» Constantopoulos added.