Other lawmakers from across the political spectrum decried the images ‘of people on the brink of despair’ and the sense of ‘sadness for a proud people who have ended up like this’.
The living standards in Greece have dropped significantly since the collapse of their economy and as the nation enters its sixth year in recession, unemployment is at a record high.
In order to avoid bankruptcy, the country has been forced to push through painful wage and pension cuts demanded by the European Union and International Monetary Fund bankrolling the bailouts.
Dire situation: An elderly woman holds on to a bag of oranges as she is nearly elbowed in the back of her head outside the Agriculture Ministry in Athens
Taking action: Greek farmers give away fruit and vegetables to down-and-out citizens as part of their protest against high production costs, earlier today
Hunger: A woman fills a plastic bag with vegetables as others reach for morsels from the trucks
Free-for-all: Many had queued for hours before the farmers arrived and as word spread of the giveaway the crowd became desperate and one man was injured
Clamour: The farmers were handing out their goods from trucks and tables throwing the scraps into the crowds as they started to run out
The free food handout in Athens began peacefully as hundreds of Greeks lined up in advance outside the Agriculture Ministry.
Farmers had announced the giveaway as part of their ten-day protest against Greece's conservative-led coalition government's plans to increase taxation on agriculture.
They also demand that the government reduce the price of fuel and cut sales tax on their goods.
However the peaceful good-will protest soon escalated into chaos as the tables piled high with fruit and vegetables began to thin.
Protest: The farmers want Greece's conservative-led coalition government to reduce the price of fuel, scrap plans to increase taxation on agriculture and cut sales tax on their goods
Large haul: Dozens of hands reach out for a bag of oranges as farmers gave away more than 50 tons of fruit and vegetables
Scraps: A woman and a young child reach for the last broken tomatoes on a table
Tensions flared as dozens of people - some carrying small children - rushed to a nearby truck and shoved each other out of the way in the competition for what was left.
One man was treated for injuries after being trampled when he fell to the ground in the commotion.
Greeks lamented that income cuts and tax hikes had made the cost of living unbearable, forcing them to seek out free food.
‘It's difficult. I never imagined that I would end up here,’ said Panagiota Petropoulos, 65, who struggles to get by on her 530-euro monthly pension while paying 300 euros in rent.
‘I can't afford anything, not even at the fruit market. Everything is expensive, prices of everything are going up while our income is going down and there are no jobs.’
