by Our Foreign Desk

GREEKS queued at banks and cash machines yesterday as the authorities enforced emergency measures to prevent a bank run.

Lines of pensioners waited outside closed banks in the morning hoping to collect their pensions. Many have no bank cards and draw their weekly payments in cash over the counter.

“I came here at 4am because I have to get my pension,” said Anastasios Gevelidis, one of about 100 OAPs waiting outside the main branch of the National Bank of Greece in the country’s second largest city of Thessaloniki.

“I don’t have a card, I don’t know what’s going on, we don’t even have enough money to buy bread.

“Nobody knows anything. A bank employee came out at 8am and told us: ‘You’re not going to get any money,’ but we’re hearing that 70 branches will open.”

The Finance Ministry and Deputy Minister of State Terence Quick said that special arrangements would be made for pensioners.

Cash machines came back online later in the day, but account holders were limited to withdrawals of €60 (£43) a day.

Other signs of diminishing confidence were apparent. While the card payment system was still functioning, many retailers were only accepting payment in cash. Panic buying of petrol and diesel set in on Sunday ahead of the new rules, with long queues at the pumps.

The anti-austerity Syriza government took the measures to prevent a run on Greek banks after weekend talks between Greece and its international creditors faltered.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras proposed a referendum on whether or not to accept Greece’s creditors’ latest terms for an extension of Greece’s bailout programme, without which it will lose access to the remaining €7.2 billion (£5.1 bn) of rescue loans.

He has advised Greeks to reject the swingeing cuts proposed by the other eurozone nations, which he blamed for the capital control measures his government has been forced to introduce.

A demonstration against the eurozone proposal was planned for yesterday evening, while another in favour is set for today.