Greek riot police have stormed the headquarters of shuttered public broadcaster ERT, which former employees had been occupying and keeping on the air despite government orders to shut it down back in June as part of penny pinching “austerity”.

Until now, the ERT workers simply refused to accept the order to shutdown.  They’ve been inside, broadcasting on their own time and at their own expense.  Banners hanging outside the building have been calling for resistance.

Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said, “The building was under illegal occupation, which resulted in daily damage of public property.  And the (police) operations took place in the presence of a prosecutor.”

But the main opposition party Syriza says storming the building was the wrong move.

“With today's riot police invasion into the ERT headquarters, the government is completing its absolute dictatorial actions against information and democracy which began on June 11,” the party said in a statement.

Critics say without an independent public broadcaster, news and information will be broadcast and subject to the whims of a privileged few.