Police break Acropolis protest

• Riot police stormed the Acropolis by a side entrance to break up a blockade of Greece's best known monument by protesting culture ministry staff. Pictures: Getty Images

Up to 100 Culture Ministry workers initially shut down the Acropolis on Wednesday morning, complaining they were owed up to 22 months' worth of back pay.

The protesters barricaded themselves inside the tourist attraction, padlocked the entrance gates and refused to allow any visitors in until their demands were met.

However, police in riot gear arrived yesterday morning after a court order stated that the protesters were hindering access to an ancient site and its 2,500-year-old marble temples.

"Riot police and violence won't break the strike," the protesters chanted, clinging to the entrance gates.

But police used a side entrance to break into the site, then used pepper spray to clear the protesters and journalists covering the standoff from the main gate. At least one protester was led away in handcuffs.

Dozens of bemused tourists who had arrived early yesterday to visit the ancient site looked on as the standoff unfolded. "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," said Spanish tourist Ainhoa Garcia shortly before the clashes broke out.

Greece is in the midst of a tough austerity program which has cut public workers' salaries and trimmed pensions in an effort to pull the country out of a severe debt crisis.

The austerity plan has led to a series of strikes and demonstrations as workers' unions protest the cutbacks.

Guards and workers at archaeological sites have long been complaining they are owed months of back pay, and have shut down the Acropolis before in protest, though usually only for a few hours at a time.

But authorities often are sensitive to protests at the emblematic ancient site, particularly as the country largely relies on tourism for revenue.

And visitors were unimpressed by the protest.

"We think this is a shame. We will not recommend that people come to Greece," said Veronica Traverso, a tourist from Argentina standing with a friend outside the padlocked gates."We are not to blame for Greece's troubles."

Meanwhile, official data released yesterday showed the unemployment rate in Greece rose to 12 per cent in July, defying a seasonal improvement in job figures during the tourism season.

The Greek Statistical Authority reported that 607,000 people were out work that month out of a workforce of about five million, pushing the jobless rate up from 11.6 percent in June.

Greece's Socialist government says the unemployment rate is set to rise to 14.5 percent next year and 15 percent in 2012, as a result of economic austerity measures that include drastic spending cuts and plans to restructure loss-making public utilities.