Public broadcaster defies Greek government crackdown

Public broadcaster defies Greek government crackdown, a set on Flickr.

The sudden decision of Greece's government to shut down the state run broadcaster, ERT has provoked a nationwide wave of protest, with employees and their supporters taking over studios, despite repeated attempts to close down transmission.

Monday's decision to close down the entire public broadcasting network in Greece at midnight took the entire country by surprise. Even political insiders were unprepared for the swiftness of the closure nor the reaction of the staff of ERT who quickly occupied their own studios and transmission facilities through Greece.

However, the Greek government was in mood for compromise and even before the midnight deadline, riot police units gradually shut down transmitters across the nation. attempts by other stations to re-broadcast ERT signals were also thwarted by the private agency that controls digital broadcasting.

While transmission from both Athens continuing via the internet the ET3 studio based in the northern city of Thessaloniki is facing severe difficulties after authorities cut off telephone and internet connections to the studio. In addition hundreds of riot police units have taken up position in the area and man fear that they will be used to seize the ET3 building.

Since the announcement of the closure of ERT thousands of supporters have gathered in Athens and Thessaloniki to thwart a possible attempt by police to raid the facilities.

More photographs here via Demotix.com.

Threatened today by ET3 camerman for taking pictures at demo

I'm not sure if I have a nose for trouble or it has a nose for me. Less than 24 hours after I bought a replacement for my stolen video camera I managed to get hassled for taking pictures. This is a personal best as far as new equipment is concerned as usually, it takes weeks before that happens.

On the way to work today I happened to come across a protest by ambulance crews and fire fighters outside the ex-ministry of Macedonia and Thrace. Not wishing to miss an opportunity to cover a story I parked up and decided to video what was happening and talk to those taking part to find out their demands.

Just minutes after I raised my video camera an aggressive cameraman from the local ET3 (ΕΤ3) TV station came up demanding to know what I was doing there and asking f I was a journalist. Not wishing to discuss the finer points of citizen journalism versus mainstream journalism I just answered yes. At this point he started to get very angry and demanded that I showed him my "professional licence". To which I replied that he could go to hell and that I was not going to show him anything. The next thing I know he and soundman are screaming that they are going to call the cops, which they promptly did.

However, it looked like the police didn't want to get involved and so I took the opportunity to duck out as the last thing I needed was to spend hours answering questions in a police station when I had to be at work.

I've been repeatedly threatened by the police and often by protesters on demos but never by the media. A first time for everything.