“Hands off Macedonia”: Citizens gather outside of the Parliament to protest FYROM deal
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Protestors objecting to the agreement reached between the governments of Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) for resolving the name issue gathered in Syntagma Square on Friday, for a protest rally with the central slogan “Hands off Macedonia”.
Waving flags of Greece and the Vergina sun, people of all ages called for the agreement to be dropped and urged the MPs opposing it to “do their duty” and vote against it, even if this results in the collapse of the present government.
Talking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA), the head of the Campaign for the Greekness of Macedonia, Mihalis Patsikas, noted that the campaign’s two rallies in Thessaloniki and Athens, as well as in 24 other cities around Greece, sent a message that “we will not allow the name Macedonia to be given away…the name Macedonia is, in itself, irredentist and no one other than Greeks can be called Macedonians.”
He said the Campaign is planning other protests in the coming days to block the deal.
Later, there were minor incidents as riot police fended off attempts by protestors to reach parliament during the rally.
Some participants in the protest donned motorcycle helmets and tried to force their way into the parliament building opposite the square but were repelled by MAT riot police.
The tension eventually subsided, with protestors remaining on the stairs leading up to parliament’s entrance, while others had laid the Greek flag and Vergina sun flag over the Unknown Soldier Monument before parliament.
Source: AMNA