Organizers, police release vastly different numbers of Athens protest

The protest at the main square in Athens on Sunday titled “Macedonia means Greece” was calm and incident-free, MIA reports from the Greek capital.

Prior to the protest, organizers said people from all over the country arrived for the rally, expecting at least one million people to attend.

On the other hand, the Greek police said about 140,000 citizens attended the protest.

A resolution, which is to be forwarded to the Greek president, PM and parliament, was read at the rally.

“To exclude any possibility of using Greek name Macedonia and any derivatives, because it is the same as name Greece and an indispensable element of the national identity,” urge organizers in the resolution.

A counter-protest was held nearby by anarchist and anti-fascist organizations. Several incidents were reported, with police using teargas.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias tweeted about the protest, saying “rating agencies have been denied”, and criticized the opposition new Democracy.

“I continue to negotiate for the well-being of our homeland with clear conscience and responsibility,” says Kotzias.