[WATCH] Tsipras tells 25,000 in Syntagma Square to deny ‘those who terrorise you’

25,000 people attended the huge rally outside the Greek Parliament, while a rally of 'Yes' supporters took place just a kilometre away

Alexis Tsipras addresses the crowds at Syntagma square
Alexis Tsipras addresses the crowds at Syntagma square

Alexis Tsipras's historic speech at Syntagma yesterday, with live English translation. Here is the full transcript:Citizens of Athens, Greek people, today, we are not protesting, today we are celebrating. Today democracy is celebrating, democracy is joy, democracy is salvation, democracy is a way out. And today we are celebrating the victory of democracy. No matter what Monday brings, we are already victorious. Greece has sent out a message of dignity, of pride. Nobody, nobody can ignore this passion, nobody can ignore this eagerness for life, for hope, this eagerness for optimism. Today we are celebrating our decisiveness to take our fates into our own hands and to give word to the Greek people, give the floor to Greek people. Today we are celebrating and singing to overcome fear, to overcome blackmail. Europe the Europe that we have known, the Europe whose founding principles have nothing to do with blackmailing and ultimatums. And today at this hour, the entirely of Europe, their eyes have turned to you, to Greek people, to the 3 million poor people, 1.5 million unemployed people.Today, today the entire planet has eyes turned to Syntagma Square, and small and big squares of our country, they have their eyes turned to the place where democracy was born, it is in this place that we will give an opportunity to democracy to come back, to come back to Europe, because we want Europe to come back to its establishing principles, to the principles it has been casting aside for so many years in order to implement programs of austerity forcing peoples to make choices against their will. Citizens of Athens, Greek people, on Sunday all of us united will send out a message of democracy and dignity to Europe and the world over, we are sending again a message of hope to the peoples, because on Sunday we are not merely deciding on Spain and Europe, we will be deciding to live in Europe with dignity, to work and to make progress in Europe, to be equals among equals in Europe.(Chants of OXIi! OXI!)And believe me, nobody has the right to threaten that they will detach Greece from its natural geographic place, nobody has the right to threaten that they will divide Europe. Greece, our homeland, Greece was, has been and will go on being the cradle of the European civilization, it was from this land that according to mythology Zeus took Europe. And it is from this precise place that the technocrats of austerity want to rape Europe again. So we shall say no, we shall say no to them on Sunday. We will not let Europe be in the hands of all those that want to take it away from its democratic tradition, its democratic ?, its establishing principles, its principles of democracy, solidarity and mutual respect. Citizens of Athens, men and women of all ages, you have gathered here today flocking to Syntagma Square, flooding the streets of Athens and other big cities, defying the crescendo of scaremongering and the terrorism of the past few days. Citizens of Athens, the Greek people, the Greek people have many times throughout the course of its history proven that they know how to return ultimatums. On certain occasions ultimatums can be returned. The brightest of leaves and pages in the history of this place, and the most glorious of leaves in the history of our people were leaves and pages of virtue and of courage, so I'm calling upon you to write historic moments, uplifting moments of freedom again, I'm calling on you to say no to ultimatums, a big and proud no, to turn your backs to those people that terrorize you on a daily basis.And on Monday, on Monday no matter what the outcome of the democratic process of th popular verdict be, the verdict of this process that somebody feared and wanted to prevent, no matter what the outcome is on Monday, we should say a definitive no to national division. No matter what we decide on Sunday, on Monday Greek men and women have nothing whatsoever to divide them, together we shall fight united to construct a Greece that will be far better than the Greece that was destroyed after five years of destruction.(OXI!)Family, I appeal to you to shut your ears to the sirens of scaremongering, to decide with your hearts and your minds, to calmly decide, to decide for a Greece which will be proud in a democratic Europe, for a people, a small people that has been fighting without swords and bullets, but a small people that has been fighting having in their hands the most powerful of weapons on the planet: justice. We are right, justice is on our side. we are right, nobody can hide this, nobody can hide that we are right. Citizens of Athens, Greek people, freedom takes courage and virtue. You, we, all of us, have both virtue and courage, and we are free, we are breathing air of freedom, no matter what happens, we are the winners, we shall be the winners, Greece has won, democracy has won, blackmails and threats have been defeated. Farewell, be strong. I'm proud. With pride and dignity, we will write history, our people will progress, will go ahead, Greece and the Europe of democracy and solidarity. Farewell.(video with live translation via The Press Project)

Posted by Europe says OXI on Saturday, 4 July 2015



Syntagma Square in Athens played host to a huge political rally of 25,000 people supporting a 'No' vote in Sunday's referendum.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras addressed the crowd, urging them to vote 'No' in the referendum and to stand against "those who terrorise you".

Despite the huge numbers of people, there was little violence and disorder - however, there were a handful of small scuffles throughout the day on various marches, during which police shot tear gas and stun grenades at small groups of protesters.

Things were peaceful during the final rally in the square, which sits in front of the Greek parliament building.

At the same time as the massive rally, a much smaller opposing one was held only a kilometre away, at the white marble Panathenaic Stadium, which lies on the opposite side of the National Garden, a park in the centre of the city.

There were fears of possible clashes between some members of both rallies, but there was little trouble, possibly due to a tight security presence.

At the 'Yes' rally, supporters sang Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy', the anthem of the European Union.

Speaking to the crowd from a podium in the square, Tsipras told the 'No' voters that Sunday's referendum, in which the Greek people will decide whether to accept or reject Greece's proposed bailout and associated public spending cuts, was a "celebration of democracy".

He said: "On Sunday, we are not just deciding that we are staying in Europe, but that we are deciding to live with dignity in Europe."

His words were greeted with cheers and chants of "No", as he told voters to "say a proud no to ultimatums and those who terrorise you."