Greece (AP) -- Greek protesters unfurled banners Tuesday over the defensive walls of the ancient Acropolis, the country's most famous monument, to protest harsh new austerity measures as strikes began across the country.
Greece's cash-strapped government announced sweeping spending cuts worth euro30 billion ($40 billion) through 2012 on Sunday, in order to secure a vital rescue package of loans from the International Monetary Fund and the other 15 European Union countries using the euro as their currency.
About 100 protesters from the Greek Communist Party cut through locks on the gates of the major tourist attraction shortly after dawn Tuesday and hung banners in Greek and English reading: "Peoples of Europe - Rise Up."
Police did not intervene as the protesters carrying red flags stood beside the ancient Parthenon, next to the two large banners. The demonstrators did not attempt to prevent tourists from visiting the site.
"This is a message to the people of Europe," said Communist Party official Panagiotis Papageorgopoulos, who was among the protesters. "People have the same problems everywhere. We can take control of our fate with organized protests, so that our lives are not run by the EU and the IMF."
The new measures, which are being submitted in a draft bill to Parliament Tuesday and are to be voted on by the end of the week, will result in deeper cuts in pensions and public servants' pay, and a new hike in consumer taxes.
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