As Greece tries to cut back, workers say: ‘we won’t pay’
TEXT OF STORY
BOB MOON: The prime minister of Greece conceded publicly today that his country could end up at the “negotiating table” for another bailout. He said Europe still needs to come up with a coordinated rescue policy at a summit later this month.
And yet, inside Greece, people are ditching loud, public demonstrations in favor of a quieter form of protest against budget cuts. They’re refusing to pay road tolls and other fees.
From Athens, Joanna Kakissis reports.
JOANNA KAKISSIS: There’s always a siren going off at the Afidnes toll station just outside of Athens. That’s because some of the gates at the tool stations here are disabled so people can go through without paying.
The “We Won’t Pay” movement began in Afidnes, a village of 3,000 people. The people who live here said they were tired of paying more than $4,000 in road tolls every year to get to Athens. Every weekend, a group from the village comes to the toll station to protest.
Ioannis Germanos is one of the protesters — he says they are sending the government a message.
IOANNIS GERMANOS: This Sunday, all the people from the village come here for a couple of hours, we, let’s say, conquer the place for two hours.
The “we won’t pay” movement in Greece now has more than 10,000 registered members. But the government says not paying fees and taxes will starve Greece of money it desperately needs to get out of debt.
From Athens, I’m Joanna Kakissis for Marketplace.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
