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Over in Athens, Greek finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos has felt the full force of protests today with communist-aligned demonstrators occupying his office ahead of next week’s vote on yet more austerity measures demanded by creditors in return for fresh bailout funds to avert default. Helena Smith reports:

Barging their way into the finance ministry on Syntagma Square, scores of communist-aligned protestors hung a massive banner from the building’s façade exhorting Greeks to “rise up” and participate in the general strike that will coincide with parliament legislating further cuts and tax increases in exchange for emergency bailout loans next week. The protest, which kicks off a week of work stoppages, strikes and street demonstrations ahead of the vote, kept Tsakalotos locked out of his sixth-floor office for most of the day.

Photograph: Helena Smith

Standing in front of the finance ministry, Yannis Hiotelis, a retired bank employee said his pension had been already been cut 60 percent. “How do they expect us to survive?” he asked of prime minister Alexis Tsipras’ leftist-led government. “Austerity only leads to unhappiness, disillusionment, bitterness and ultimately friction. We are talking about outright pillage. This government has made a mockery of its own so called leftist politics.” The protest came as the International Monetary Fund appeared to roll back on speculation that it would sign up to the Greek bailout programme before a comprehensive debt deal had been found for the debt-stricken country. Greece is expected to be the focus of talks when the G7 meet over the next few days.

Photograph: Helena Smith

The above photo shows Yannis Hiotelis, retired bank ermployee, right, holding banner outside the Greek finance ministry in Syntagma square on Thursday. It reads: “Pensioners rise up! All on the street. All to battle.”