People reach out for a bag of oranges during a free distribution of fruit and vegetables by Greek farmers outside the Agriculture Ministry in Athens, on February 6, 2013. (AFP Photo / Louisa Gouliamaki)
The person was injured when he was pushed by a crowd trying to grab the goods and fell and hit his head.
The chaos was sparked when food stalls ran out of fruits and vegetables, prompting dozens of people to rush to a nearby truck.
It was an “every man for himself” situation as the Greeks shoved their way to the front of the truck, competing for the food that was left. The 55 tons of food was completely gone in under two hours.
A Reuters employee at the scene was hit on the head with cauliflower heads as he attempted to photograph the situation.
People reach out for a bag of oranges during a free distribution of fruit and vegetables by Greek farmers outside the Agriculture Ministry in Athens part a farmers protest against high production costs, including petrol, on February 6, 2013. (AFP Photo / Louisa Gouliamaki)
Other Greek lawmakers said the situation showed images “of people on the brink of despair” and the sense of “sadness for a proud people who have ended up like this.”
It’s a reality that many Greek citizens find hard to comprehend.
"It's difficult. I never imagined that I would end up here," 65-year-old Panagiota Petropoulos said.
"I can't afford anything, not even at the fruit market. Everything is expensive, prices of everything are going up while our income is going down and there are no jobs," she continued.
People line up for fruits and vegetables freely distributed by farmers during a protest against high production costs outside the Agriculture Ministry in Athens February 6, 2013. (Reuters / John Kolesidis)
Greece, which is currently in its sixth year of recession, is experiencing record high unemployment rates. Citizens have been forced to endure wage and pension cuts to satisfy European Union and International Monetary Fund demands.The handout was an attempt by farmers to persuade the government to give them a 50 per cent price reduction on diesel-powered farm equipment, abolish the obligatory declaration for cultivation and cut Value Added Tax from 23 per cent to 6 per cent on their products and agricultural machinery and equipment.
Strikes continue to take place in various sectors, as workers protest the government’s austerity plan
On Wednesday, Greece’s ruling coalition forced striking seamen to return to work after a six-day action that suspended ferry services to dozens of Greek Islands. The strike led to food and medical shortages.
But when one strike ends, others continue.
Farmers throughout the country are in their ninth day of demonstrations, staging roadblocks with their tractors on highways across Greece on Wednesday.
Journalists working for state broadcasters went into a third day of strikes on Wednesday, protesting against the government’s policies regulating the sector. The strike is scheduled to continue until Thursday.
Various Greek Unions have held a wave of strikes over the past three years to protest the harsh austerity measures taken to secure international rescue loans.
People reach out for a bag of vegetables during a free distribution of fruit and vegetables on February 6, 2013. (AFP Photo / Louisa Gouliamaki)
People reach out to take fruits and vegetables distributed for free by farmers during a protest against high production costs outside the Agriculture Ministry in Athens February 6, 2013. (Reuters / John Kolesidis)
People reach out to take fruits and vegetables distributed for free by farmers during a protest against high production costs outside the Agriculture Ministry in Athens February 6, 2013. (Reuters / John Kolesidis)
People reach out for vegetables during a free distribution of fruit and vegetables on February 6, 2013. (AFP Photo / Louisa Gouliamaki)
http://rt.com/news/greece-scuffle-free-food-581/
Greeks Fight For Food: “I Never Imagined That I Would End Up Here”
Hat Tip: BBDon’t let this happen to you. Put food away, as well as guns and ammo.
Hundreds of people jostled for free vegetables handed out by farmers in a symbolic protest earlier on Wednesday, trampling one man and prompting an outcry over the growing desperation created by economic crisis.
Images of people struggling to seize bags of tomatoes and leeks thrown from a truck dominated television, triggering a bout of soul-searching over the new depths of poverty in the debt-laden country.
“These images make me angry. Angry for a proud people who have no food to eat, who can’t afford to keep warm, who can’t make ends meet,” said Kostas Barkas, a lawmaker from the leftist Syriza party.
Other lawmakers from across the political spectrum decried the images “of people on the brink of despair” and the sense of “sadness for a proud people who have ended up like this“.
People have seen their living standards crumble as the country faces its sixth year of recession that has driven unemployment to record highs.
…
The free food handout in Athens began peacefully as hundreds of Greeks lined up in advance outside the agriculture ministry, where protesting farmers laid out tables piled high with produce, giving away 50 metric tonnes (55.11 tons) of produce in under two hours.
Tensions flared when the stalls ran out of produce and dozens of people – some carrying small children – rushed to a truck and shoved each other out of the way in the competition for what was left.
One man was treated for injuries after being trampled when he fell to the ground in the commotion.
“I never imagined that I would end up here,” said Panagiota Petropoulos, 65, who struggles to get by on her 530-euro monthly pension while paying 300 euros in rent.
“I can’t afford anything, not even at the fruit market. Everything is expensive, prices of everything are going up while our income is going down and there are no jobs.”
Reuters via Zero Hedge
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