Man trampled as hundreds of desperate Greeks scuffle for food (PHOTOS)

Published: 6 February, 2013, 23:57 Edited: 6 February, 2013, 23:57

A fruit and vegetable handout in ree!e led to one "an being tra"#led on $ednesday, !alling attention to the des#erate !onditions in the !risis%hit !ountry& 'o"e 55 tons of #rodu!e (as given a(ay by far"ers (ho (ere #rotesting high #rodu!tion !osts& )he #erson (as in*ured (hen he (as #ushed by a !ro(d trying to grab the goods and fell and hit his head& )he !haos (as s#ar+ed (hen food stalls ran out of fruits and vegetables, #ro"#ting do,ens of #eo#le to rush to a nearby tru!+& -t (as an .every "an for hi"self/ situation as the ree+s shoved their (ay to the front of the tru!+, !o"#eting for the food that (as left& )he 55 tons of food (as !o"#letely gone in under t(o hours& A 0euters e"#loyee at the s!ene (as hit on the head (ith !auliflo(er heads as he atte"#ted to #hotogra#h the situation&

Peo#le rea!h out for a bag of oranges during a free distribution of fruit and vegetables by ree+ far"ers outside the Agri!ulture 1inistry in Athens #art a far"ers #rotest against high #rodu!tion !osts, in!luding #etrol, on February 6, 2013& 2AFP Photo 3 4ouisa oulia"a+i5

"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," 6ostas 7ar+as, a la("a+er fro" the leftist 'yri,a #arty, told 0euters& 8ther ree+ la("a+ers said the situation sho(ed i"ages of people on the brink of despair and the sense of sadness for a proud people who have ended up like this. -t9s a reality that "any ree+ !iti,ens find hard to !o"#rehend& " t's difficult. never imagined that would end up here," 65%year%old Panagiota Petro#oulos said& " can't afford anything, not even at the fruit market. !verything is e"pensive, prices of everything are going up while our income is going down and there are no #obs," she !ontinued&

Peo#le line u# for fruits and vegetables freely distributed by far"ers during a #rotest against high #rodu!tion !osts outside the Agri!ulture 1inistry in Athens February 6, 2013& 20euters 3 :ohn 6olesidis5

ree!e, (hi!h is !urrently in its si;th year of re!ession, is e;#erien!ing re!ord high une"#loy"ent rates& <iti,ens have been for!ed to endure (age and #ension !uts to satisfy Euro#ean =nion and -nternational 1onetary Fund de"ands& )he handout (as an atte"#t by far"ers to #ersuade the govern"ent to give the" a 50 #er !ent #ri!e redu!tion on diesel%#o(ered far" e>ui#"ent, abolish the obligatory de!laration for !ultivation and !ut ?alue Added )a; fro" 23 #er !ent to 6 #er !ent on their #rodu!ts and agri!ultural "a!hinery and e>ui#"ent& 'tri+es !ontinue to ta+e #la!e in various se!tors, as (or+ers #rotest the govern"ent9s austerity #lan 8n $ednesday, ree!e9s ruling !oalition for!ed stri+ing sea"en to return to (or+ after a si;%day a!tion that sus#ended ferry servi!es to do,ens of ree+ -slands& )he stri+e led to food and "edi!al shortages& 7ut (hen one stri+e ends, others !ontinue& Far"ers throughout the !ountry are in their ninth day of de"onstrations, staging roadblo!+s (ith their tra!tors on high(ays a!ross ree!e on $ednesday& :ournalists (or+ing for state broad!asters (ent into a third day of stri+es on $ednesday, #rotesting against the govern"ent9s #oli!ies regulating the se!tor& )he stri+e is s!heduled to !ontinue until )hursday& ?arious ree+ =nions have held a (ave of stri+es over the #ast three years to #rotest the harsh austerity "easures ta+en to se!ure international res!ue loans&

Peo#le rea!h out for a bag of vegetables during a free distribution of fruit and vegetables on February 6, 2013& 2AFP Photo 3 4ouisa oulia"a+i5

Peo#le rea!h out to ta+e fruits and vegetables distributed for free by far"ers during a #rotest against high #rodu!tion !osts outside the Agri!ulture 1inistry in Athens February 6, 2013& 20euters 3 :ohn 6olesidis5

Peo#le rea!h out to ta+e fruits and vegetables distributed for free by far"ers during a #rotest against high #rodu!tion !osts outside the Agri!ulture 1inistry in Athens February 6, 2013& 20euters 3 :ohn 6olesidis5

Peo#le rea!h out for vegetables during a free distribution of fruit and vegetables on February 6, 2013& 2AFP Photo 3 4ouisa oulia"a+i5