Scots and Greek campaigners show solidarity at Glasgow event tomorrow

Hundreds of Scots are to show solidarity with Greece at a Reject Austerity rally in Glasgow tomorrow (2 July).

Over 400 have already pledged to attend the event at the foot of the Royal Concert Hall’s steps, Buchannan Street, at 6pm to urge Europe’s leaders to drop Greece’s spiralling debt.

Organised by the Radical Independence Campaign, organisers say they expect up to 1,000 protesters could turn up.

Greece is currently facing financial meltdown after it became the first ever EU country to fail to repay a loan to the IMF.

Ordinary people are struggling with everday living costs as prices rise and the country's banks run out of cash.

Messages on social media have shown support for the event across the UK and as far afield as Russia, Croatia and Bulgaria.

The organisers said: “The situation in Greece could not be more stark. The Troika (the EU, International Monetary Fund and European Bank) are throwing everything they have at the Greek people in order to blackmail and intimidate them into accepting their deal of intensified austerity, privatisation and cuts.

"Across Europe solidarity actions are being organised. We are calling on everyone who opposes austerity and blackmail to join this demonstration of solidarity to support the Greek people.”

One posting on the organisers’ Facebook page by Pat Lee commented: “Are the sanctions being imposed on Greece not the same measures being inflicted on Britain? This is about power and control. Not about debt.”

Another urged: “Glasgow needs to show solidarity with our fellow humans when it comes to the rich trampling on the poor.

“It is a moral duty to show solidarity because we are going to be next.”

Meanwhile thousands are expected to atend another UK anti-austerity rally planned for Glasgow’s George Square next week (8 July) by campaign group Unite the Resistance Scotland to coincide with George Osborne’s budget statement on the same day.