Pensioners protest new round of planned cuts on pensions in Greece

Thousands of retirees have staged a protest in Greece to demand that the government scrap a new round of planned cuts on their pensions.

The anti-government rally held in the capital, Athens, on Thursday saw more than 5,000 protesters marching to the Labor Ministry and outside parliament.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against Labor Minister George Katrougalos and burnt copies of his recent letter which explained the new pension changes.

A protest organizer said the pensioners would send the letter back to the minister and continue protests.

“They have torn us apart with all the cuts, and they are telling us we are supposed to be happy with these measures,” Dimos Koumbouris said, adding that the pensioners will continue protests to get the changes canceled.  

A separate demonstration against government’s austerity measures was also planned later on Thursday in Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, while the largest labor union in the country called a 24-hour strike for December 8.

SS