Mass rallies in Greece ahead of Sunday\\\'s bailout vote

Tens of thousands of Greeks have attended rival rallies in Athens ahead of a crucial referendum on Sunday. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was greeted with huge cheers when he told supporters to vote "No" to the terms of an international bailout. But those attending another huge rally nearby warned a "No" vote would see Greece ejected from the eurozone. A Greek court earlier rejected a challenge to the legality of the referendum and it will go ahead. Framing Sunday’s ballot as a battle for democracy, freedom and European values, 40-year-old Tsipras told Greeks to “turn your backs on those who terrorize you daily”. “On Sunday, we are not just deciding that we are staying in Europe, but that we are deciding to live with dignity in Europe,” he told the crowd of at least 50,000. His opponents accuse Tsipras of gambling Greece’s future on a rapid-fire plebiscite that a major European rights watchdog says falls short of international standards of fairness. Four opinion polls published on Friday had the 'Yes' vote marginally ahead; a fifth put the 'No' camp 0.5 percent in front, but all were well within the margin of error. "We know that the lenders will close the door if we say no, but we must fight,” said 65-year-old pensioner Irini Stavridou, who attended the 'No' rally. “We must fight not only for Greece but all the people in Europe, for those who just have a different opinion." Greece defaulted on Tuesday when its current bailout programme ran out. All week banks have been shut, with limits imposed on cash withdrawals, according to Reuters.