Protesters urge Greeks to use fake ballot papers in referendum

(ATHENS) - Thousands of Communist Party supporters held a rally in Athens Thursday calling for people to defy the government and vote with fake ballot papers at Greece's upcoming bailout referendum.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has urged Greeks to vote 'No' to a deal proffered by the country's international creditors -- with European leaders warning such a vote would signify a 'No' to the eurozone.

As demonstrators waved red flags on Syntagma square -- the scene of fierce anti-austerity riots in the past -- the party's secretary general Dimitris Koutsoumbas said supporters would vote with fake ballot papers sporting a third, unofficial option: 'Neither Yes nor No'.

Sunday's referendum has divided Greeks, with many saying neither option -- 'Yes' to austerity or 'No' to Europe -- will help pull the vastly debt-laden country out of the financial mire.

Across the city, police in riot gear scuffled briefly with a handful of demonstrators holding a separate 1,000-strong rally in favour of a 'No' vote, an AFP photographer said.

The demonstrators had been attempting to hang a 'Vote No' banner on a university building but were stopped by the police, who fired a shot of tear gas to clear the area.

Scuffles between protesters and police are a common sight at rallies in the capital.

Marta, 26, said she would vote 'No' because "there is no future for this country in the EU".

"Because of the austerity measures there is poverty, people dying in the street, committing suicide."

Tsipras's Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis has said the radical left government may resign if the 'Yes' vote wins.

That could send the country to new elections, but demonstrators in favour of a 'No' vote said the risk of a period of political uncertainty is preferable to the idea of another round of painful measures after years of sky-high unemployment and growing poverty.

"It's enough, we've suffered for years. A lot of families have no food, there are problems in our schools," said Nadia, a 53-year old housewife.

"We said 'Yes' before to a new deal but we didn't get one, and it's impossible to wait anymore. We have to do something, for the future of our children and our grandchildren," she said.