Updated

Greek left-wing demonstrators are staging a sit-in at the finance ministry building in central Athens, in a protest against the radical, left-led government, which they accuse of planning new austerity measures.

The Communist Party-affiliated protesters draped a large banner over the facade of the building, which is opposite Parliament, reading "We have bled enough, we have paid enough."

Thursday's protest came as Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is engaged in a diplomatic offensive in Brussels to try to persuade European creditors to pay out the bailout loans the country needs to avoid default.

Tsipras had a short meeting with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker Wednesday, and another with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande. He planned to continue talks with Juncker on Thursday.