Police, anti-austerity protesters clash in Greece

Clashes have broken out between Greece’s anti-austerity campaigners and the riot police in the capital city ahead of Sunday’s referendum on bailout proposals by Athens’ international creditors.

Supporters of the left-wing coalition Antarsya and riot police clashed outside the offices of the European Union (EU) in Athens on Thursday.

Antarsya supporters were marching to demand that no austerity deal between Greece and its creditors be agreed, calling for the Greek people to vote 'No' in the upcoming referendum on bailout proposals.

The Greek government closed the country's banks on Monday and imposed capital controls on withdrawals until July 6, the day after Greeks are due to vote in the referendum on whether to reject or to accept the bailout terms proposed.

‘Yes’ and ‘No’ supporters plan to hold more rival demonstrations in the capital. There have already been rallies and counter-rallies in Greece, with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urging people to vote NO to austerity measures demanded by the creditors.

Tsipras has pledged to press ahead with a referendum on the terms of a bailout deal with Athens’ international lenders, calling on the Greeks to vote NO to austerity measures demanded by the country's lenders.

In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, Tsipras said a No vote in the July 5 referendum would not imperil Greece's place in the eurozone or in the European Union (EU), but would instead exert pressure on its international creditors to provide Athens with an economically viable agreement.

“A 'No' vote does not signify a rupture with Europe, but a return to the Europe of values,” he said.

Meanwhile, a new opinion poll shows that the vote is too close to call, though the Yes camp has a slight lead.

According to the survey, which was published in the Greek Ethnos newspaper on Friday, 44.8 percent of the respondents said they will vote for the pro-bailout camp, while 43.4 percent will cast No ballot.

Meanwhile, Greece's top court, the Council of State, is due to rule on the legality of Sunday's vote.

Greece made a fresh reform offer to its lenders on June 30 to resolve the debt crisis after defaulting on its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

On June 27, the Greek parliament passed a bill approving Tsipras's motion to hold the referendum on whether the government should agree to the creditors’ demands for tougher austerity measures in return for bailout funds to the cash-stripped country.

Greece received two bailouts worth a total of €240 billion (USD 272 billion) in 2010 and 2012 from its lenders, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Union (EU), and the European Central Bank (ECB), following the 2009 economic crisis.

Greece is seeking a third bailout from the eurozone rescue fund in the hope of resolving its deepening financial crisis.

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