Water company workers lead Greek protests

ATHENS, Greece – Workers from a state-run water company are blocking traffic outside Greece’s parliament as lawmakers prepare to vote on a proposal to move control of public utilities to a new asset fund created by international bailout creditors.

Several hundred protesters chanted “next you’ll sell the Acropolis” during a peaceful rally ahead of the vote late Tuesday.

Creditors argue that placing Greek state assets under a single fund will allow faster privatization and debt repayment, even though Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ left-wing government has vowed to keep major utilities under public control.

Tsipras’ government has to fulfil the demand before receiving additional rescue loan payouts from other eurozone countries.