Chalkidiki mining workers occupy Energy Ministry (photos-videos)

A group of gold mining workers from the Cassandra mining plant in Chalkidiki stormed the Energy Ministry a little after 8.30am on Wednesday and are currently occupying the premises. Police swat teams units have arrived on the scene to prevent the remaining protesters outside the Ministry from entering the building. “Tsipras talks about investments but this investment is shutting down,” said the president of the workers’ union of miners in in Cassandra Christos Zafeiroudas. The workers are protesting against the government after the recent decision by Canadian mining company Edlorado Gold to suspend its operations in Greece accusing the Greek government of delaying the issuing of routine permits for the project to continue. “We will not leave if we do not get the permits”, the workers said, who came to Athens from Chalkidiki to met with the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change in an effort to resolve the issue.