Costas Baltas

A man walks past an overflowing garbage dumpster in Athens on Thursday following nearly a week of strike action by municipal workers protesting the government's plans to make it easier for private contractors to undertake municipal sanitation projects. Teams were expected to start a cleanup Thursday though unionists have not ruled out further action.

Refugees and migrants arrive on a passenger ferry from the island of Samos, at the port of Elefsina near Athens, on Tuesday. [Costas Baltas/Reuters]

Kurds living in Greece march outside the Parliament building during a demonstration against Turkey's military action in northeastern Syria, in Athens, Wednesday. [Costas Baltas/Reuters]

European Council President Donald Tusk speaks at the Athens Democracy Forum on Wednesday.

Stavros Polychronidis, 53, arranges church candles at a factory in Lavrio, near Athens. Monday marked the start of Holy Week, leading to Greek Orthodox Easter on Sunday. With Monday's public holiday coming just before Labor Day on May 1 (Wednesday), a lot of Greek workers have arranged to take time off for vacations, as schools will remain closed until May 6 too.

Greek school teachers take part in a demonstration in front of the parliament building against government plans to change hiring procedures in the public sector in Athens, Monday. [Costas Baltas/Reuters]

A member of the Greek Presidential guard wears a traditional winter cape to protect from low temperatures, following a snowfall in Athens, Tuesday. [Costas Baltas/Reuters]

Greek riot police used a water cannon to disperse protesters in central Athens, during an anniversary rally on Thursday marking the 2008 police shooting of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos. Police reportedly detained 30 people in Athens, including some minors, and one in Thessaloniki during clashes with hooded youths after the end of the protest marches in both cities.

Protesters wear gas masks during an anniversary rally marking the 2008 police shooting of 15-year-old student, Alexandros Grigoropoulos, in Athens, Thursday. New protest marches were underway Thursday evening hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones. [Costas Baltas/Reuters]

A man looks at the damaged pier in the main port of the Ionian island of Zakynthos, following a powerful earthquake at 1.54 a.m. on Friday. The Geodynamic Institute of Athens said the 6.4-magnitude quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers in the sea 50 km from Zakynthos. It was felt as far away as Athens, southern Italy, Albania and Libya.