Massive Crowd For Syriza's Final Rally Ahead Of Greek Elections

Massive Crowd For Syriza's Final Rally

Greek opposition party Syriza held its final campaign rally in Athens on Thursday, three days before the country heads to the polls in crucial elections.

Tens of thousands of people waving Syriza's red and white flags flooded Omonia Square to hear the party's charismatic leader Alexis Tsipras speak, German press agency DPA reported.

A new poll showed on Thursday that Syriza had widened its lead over the ruling conservative New Democracy party. The poll by Metron Analysis said the left-wing party would take 36 percent of the vote on Sunday, compared with 30.7 percent for the New Democracy party.

The leader of Spain's left-wing Podemos party Pablos Inglesias -- which is also enjoying a surge in popularity -- joined the Syriza leader on stage on Thursday. "People all over Europe are watching us, and we will change Europe," Tsipras vowed to supporters, according to The Guardian's Greece correspondent.

Syriza has campaigned against the austerity measures imposed as a condition of Greece's bailouts by the "troika" -- EuroZone countries, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Tsipras' campaign promise to renegotiate the bailout package has raised concerns that Greece might default or leave the Euro.

"What have five years of sacrifice got us? In a word: Nothing," Tsipras wrote in an article on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. "All we got is despair: 1.3 million unemployed, 3 million without health insurance, and pensioners who cannot afford to buy medicine."

syriza 22Supporters of Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's Syriza party, attend his pre-election speech at Omonia Square in Athens, Jan. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

syriza 22Supporters of Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's Syriza party, attend his pre-election speech at Omonia Square in Athens, Jan. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

syriza 22Supporters of Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece's Syriza party, attend his pre-election speech at Omonia Square in Athens, Jan. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

syriza 22Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras with Pablo Iglesias, leader of the Spanish left-wing party Podemos, in Omonia Square in Athens, Jan. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

On Monday, Greece will acquire voice, dignity, status in Europe.

#Syriza followers on #Omonia. Several 10,000. Again and again: #Tsipras, Tsipras - time for a change #Athen

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