Disabled protest against austerity cuts in Athens

The disabled have staged a protest rally in the Greek capital, Athens, in opposition to austerity measures used by the government.

The protesters gathered in downtown Athens on Friday, urging policymakers in the country to reconsider cutbacks in healthcare provisions, benefits and pensions allocated to the physically challenged members of society.

The rally was organized ahead of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD), which is celebrated on December 3.

The disabled protesters said the measures had made them almost destitute.

"There have been cuts to disability pensions and to the wages of disabled persons, there are also cuts to health care benefits, so as you understand people with disabilities or chronic diseases and their families are facing multifaceted problems," said Vassilis Kotsianos, the president of the Association for People with Disabilities of Western Macedonia.

The association said in a statement that the disabled were determined "to keep fighting to reverse the adverse conditions" under which they are living. It said the "painful and tough measures of persistent austerity" had led to their "pauperization."

Police officers confront people with disabilities as they take part in an anti-austerity rally in front of the Greek parliament in central Athens on December 2, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

Greece's government decided last year to give in to austerity measures set by international lenders in order to receive a loan to pull the cash-strapped country out of debt.

The measures proposed by international creditors include cuts in public spending, which have triggered increased anger among those affected by the cutbacks.

Many Greek citizens are angry at Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who, they say, has broken his promise before taking office that he will be a defender of the poor.

Tsipras, the dissatisfied Greek say, had promised to resist the excessive demands imposed on Athens by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, but he later submitted to their demands under a controversial bailout program in order to secure the funds he needed to run the government.