Greek pensioners protest over pension cuts, health care access

More than two-thousand elderly pensioners in Greece took to the streets of the capital Athens on Thursday.

They were angry over cuts to their pensions and health care reforms that are limiting their access to free health care.

(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PENSIONER GIORGOS TSAKIRIDIS, AGED 77, SAYING:

"My pension is not enough. I am waiting for pay day so that I can survive. That's what our life has been reduced to."

The elderly protesters say their pensions are barely enough to survive, let alone buy medicines.

But they're under an added strain.

(SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PENSIONER MENIA MARMARINOU, AGED 70, SAYING:

"The Greek family has many big problems, but pensioners have additional problems, because right now they are also supporting their families, because so many of their children are unemployed."

Greece is in its deepest, most protracted peacetime recession in its history.

Pensions have been cut by as much as 50 percent as part of state sp