‘Macedonia is Greece!’ Thousands march through Athens in country-naming dispute (VIDEO)

Protesters arrived by bus from all over the country, waving Greek flags and chanting the slogans “hands off Macedonia” and “Macedonia is Greece,” clearly unhappy with the fact that neighboring Macedonia shares its name with a region in northern Greece.

Traffic in the center of the Greek capital ground to a halt and several metro stations were closed. Organizers estimated that 1.5 million people gathered at Syntagma Square outside parliament, but police estimates quickly deflated that number to just 140,000.

This is the second such protest in the last few weeks. A demonstration drew at least 90,000 people in Thessaloniki, the capital of Greek Macedonia, on 21 January.

“Macedonia was, is, and will forever be Greek,” said Mikis Theodorakis,famous composer and symbol of resistance to the 1967-1974 military junta. “If a government considers signing on behalf of our country, there is no doubt it must first ask the Greek people,” he told the crowd.

A small counterdemonstration by leftist activists and anarchists took place nearby, where scuffles broke out with far-right nationalists. After being pelted with rocks, police used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the mob.

This is the second such protest in the last few weeks. A demonstration drew at least 90,000 people in Thessaloniki, the capital of Greek Macedonia, on 21 January.

“Macedonia was, is, and will forever be Greek,” said Mikis Theodorakis,famous composer and symbol of resistance to the 1967-1974 military junta. “If a government considers signing on behalf of our country, there is no doubt it must first ask the Greek people,” he told the crowd.

A small counterdemonstration by leftist activists and anarchists took place nearby, where scuffles broke out with far-right nationalists. After being pelted with rocks, police used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the mob.