Striking Athens municipal street cleaners and rubbish collectors demonstrated through the city center yesterday. They pledged to complete today a 48-hour strike they began yesterday despite a court ruling yesterday night deeming their action illegal. The Interior Ministry, which last month won its court appeal against a national municipal workers' strike, refused to meet protesters, saying they should visit Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos to discuss their demands for collective contracts and equal pay for permanent and contract workers.