Tsipras calls for 'No' vote in referendum on creditors’ demands
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has urged citizens to vote 'No' in a bailout referendum scheduled to be held on Sunday.
Addressing some 25,000 of his supporters in Syntagma Square in the capital Athens, Tsipras said the referendum is not a choice about whether or not to remain in Europe, but a decision about living "with dignity".
"I call on you to say 'No' to ultimatums and to turn the back on those who would terrorize you," he said, adding, “We are not simply deciding to remain in Europe, we are deciding to live with dignity in Europe."
The premier called the plebiscite on June 27, asking Greeks to vote whether to accept international creditors’ demands for more austerity in return for bailout loans.
Tsipras also dismissed warnings that a 'No' result in Sunday's referendum could see Greece forced to leave the eurozone.
Meanwhile, thousands of people in Germany and Italy also marched on Friday in solidarity with Greek 'No' voters.
Germany, France, Italy and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have all said a 'No' vote would negatively impact Greece's place in the eurozone, and maybe even in the European Union.
Tsipras believes a 'No' vote will exert added pressure on the international creditors - the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund - to provide Athens with a better, more economically viable deal.
The Friday rally came as some 17,000 people gathered outside Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium for a 'Yes' rally, according to police.
Also on Friday, a Greek court rejected an appeal by two citizens asking for the referendum to be ruled unconstitutional. The men had appealed to the court on the grounds that Greece’s constitution prohibits popular votes on financial matters.
Greece received two bailout packages in 2010 and 2012 worth a total of €240 billion ($272 billion) from its creditors following its 2009 economic crisis, in return for implementing harsh austerity measures.
The country is seeking a third bailout in the hope of resolving its deepening financial crisis.
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