Business

9 photos show the chaos in Greece right now

Posted July 02, 2015 11:00 pm

Melissa Stanger

On Sunday, July 5, Greece will have a referendum on whether to accept an accord with its creditors. This weekend could be Greece's last chance to get a bailout, or possibly default to the International Monetary Fund.

Not only could this be catastrophic for Greece as a country, which also owes billions to the European Central Bank and European Commission, but it could be devastating for the Greek people, who are already limited to a maximum 60 (about US$67) ATM withdrawal in the wake of banks closing.

Everyone already seems to be under a tremendous amount of stress, as evidenced by recent pictures from overseas.

<h3>An older woman with "oxi" ("no" in Greek) stickers on her face joins a demonstration in Athens on Friday, July 3. This group is in favor of a No vote on whether Greeks should accept more austerity in return for bailout loans.</h3>

<h3>Most of Greece's banks shuttered on Thursday, leaving Greece bracing for more chaos on the streets. Here, a member of Communist-affiliated PAME labor union shouts at police. </h3>

<h3>People stand on both sides of the issue. A referendum campaign poster calling for a Yes ("nai") vote has been sprayed with graffiti that reads No.</h3>

<h3>Two people stop to read the paper on July 3. An opinion poll on Greece's bailout referendum revealed that, so far, there is a slight lead for the Yes vote, at 44.8%, while the No vote came in at 43.4%.</h3>

<h3>Rallies draw crowds all over Athens. These supporters of the No vote think Greeks should not accept more austerity in return for a bailout.</h3>

<h3>On the other side, demonstrators voice their opinion with signs that read ''Yes to Greece, Yes to the Euro,'' among dozens of Greek flags.</h3>

<h3>People are trying to drum up as much support as they can for their side of the vote. Here, a woman puts up a "Yes to Greece, Yes to the Euro" referendum campaign poster in Athens.</h3>

<h3>Greece closed down most of its banks on Thursday, fearing a rush of people trying to withdraw their money before the referendum. That hasn't stopped people from lining up to withdraw from the remaining open ATMs.</h3>

<h3>Tensions run high on the streets. Here, police watching for riots detain a demonstrator before a rally organized by supporters of the No vote.</h3>

NOW WATCH: 6 mind-blowing facts about Greece's economy

<ul><li>How Greece's prime minister rose from high school activist to high politics</li><li>Alexis Tsipras: Greece won't be thrown out of the euro</li><li>If you're not Greek, you can take out as much money as you want from an ATM in Greece</li></ul>

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