Tens of thousands of Greeks have staged a mass rally in Athens urging the government not to compromise in the country’s long-running name dispute with neighboring Macedonia.

Organizers claimed some 1.5 million people from all over the country traveled to Athens' central Syntagma Square on February 4 to join the demonstration against Skopje's use of the name Macedonia.

Police put the figure at around 140,000.

Demonstrators carrying Greek flags chanted slogans such as "hands off Macedonia" and "Macedonia is Greece" as they assembled in the square outside parliament.

Renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, 92, addressed the crowd, saying, "Macedonia was, is, and will forever be Greek."

Greek Prime Minister Alexi Tsipras has been considering a resolution to the dispute -- angering both opposition politicians and members of his own nationalist coalition.

In a statement released by his office on February 4, Tsipras said that "the million protesters that the organizers [of the demonstration] imagined was wishful thinking."

"The crushing majority of Greek people conclude that foreign policy issues should not be dealt with fanaticism," he added.

Among those at the February 4 rally in Athens were mayors, senior religious figures, Greek military officers, and former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who was Greece's foreign minister when the name dispute began.

The dispute broke out after Macedonia, for decades a part of the former Yugoslavia, gained independence in 1991.

Greece argues the neighbor's name implies claims on its own province of Macedonia and wants it changed. The Macedonian government denies the charge.

Leaders of the two countries have said progress has been made in settling the dispute, with indications that any agreement could include Macedonia adding "Upper," "New," or "North" to its name.

UN negotiator Matthew Nimetz on February 1 voiced optimism that the Balkan neighbors could end the dispute this year, despite vehement opposition from nationalist parties in both countries.

The Athens protest would be the second major demonstration in the capital in recent weeks. It is being organized and funded by Greek diaspora groups, backed by retired officer associations, Greek Macedonian cultural unions, church groups, and others.

Outside the capital, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Thessaloniki on January 21 in the first major protest over the name dispute, with police saying 90,000 people attended but organizers putting the number at 400,000.

The government has said the protests will not affect its efforts to solve the dispute. "Not having a solution undermines our national interest," Tsipras said recently.

Based on Greece's objections to the use of the name, Macedonia in 1993 joined the United Nations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

With reporting by AFP, Greek Reporter, and Channel NewsAsia</s>At least 1.4 lakh Greeks gathered in the main square of Athens on Sunday to protest against its neighbouring country using the word “Macedonia” in its name.

The country is officially called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but Macedonia is also a region in Northern Greece. A majority of Greeks feel that the use of the name implies territorial claims on its own province, AP reported.

The rally comes after Greece and the Republic of Macedonia began talks mediated by the United Nations in January to settle a row that has dragged on for 25 years, The New York Times reported.

On Sunday, the demonstrators carried Greek flags and shouted “hands off Macedonia” and “Macedonia is Greece”, the BBC reported. Protestors came from across Greece in buses, and some of them were dressed as the warrior king Alexander The Great, who was believed to belong to the Macedonian region. Thousands of police officers were deployed at the square.

The protests seem to have gained traction after Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, who is representing Athens in the talks, said he expected the dispute to be resolved within months, the BBC report said. Last week, Kotzias received death threats in an email, according to The New York Times.

The dispute over the name began in 1991, after Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia. While most Greeks call Macedonia Skopje – the name of its Capital – officials in Skopje maintain that their country has been known as Macedonia for years.

Macedonia has also said that its people, too, can be traced back to the ancient Macedon kingdom, the BBC reported.

The left-wing government in Greece has called the subject a diplomatic obstacle. It has proposed a composite name that would include the word Macedonia, but also ensure that it is clearly differentiated from the Greek region.

Greece has used the row over the name to block Macedonia’s attempts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.</s>More than 100,000 people protested in Athens on Sunday, angry over a possible compromise to a long-running dispute with its Balkan neighbor over its use of the name Macedonia. 

 

Protesters traveled from across the country to the Greek capital, where they waved flags and chanted slogans, including "Macedonia is Greek" and "Hands off Macedonia." Police said about 140,000 protesters were in attendance Sunday. 



The protests come after Greece and Macedonia restarted talks last month to resolve a dispute that began more than two decades ago. 



Earlier this month, UN negotiator Matthew Nimetz voiced optimism the two countries could end the dispute this year. Leaders of the two countries have also said progress has been made in settling the dispute, with indications that an agreement could include a composite name with a geographical or chronological qualifier, which would still include "Macedonia."



The dispute began after the small Balkan country, for decades a part of the former Yugoslavia, gained independence in 1991 and wanted to call itself Macedonia. However, Greece has objected to use of the name, arguing it could imply territorial claims over the northern Greece region of the same name, something Macedonia denies. 



Opponents believe their neighbors are Slavs, with no linguistic or cultural connection to the Greek region of Macedonia, which was the home of Alexander the Great. 



Macedonians argue they are living in part of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia and have cultural ties to it. 



Because of Greece's objections, Macedonia joined the United Nations in 1993 as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or FYROM. Greece, a member of both NATO and the European Union, has also repeatedly blocked any NATO or EU ambition for its neighbor, both significant goals for consecutive Skopje governments.</s>More than 100,000 protesters from across Greece have converged on Athens’s main square to protest against a potential Greek compromise in a dispute with neighbouring Macedonia over the former Yugoslav republic’s official name.

More than 100,000 protesters from across Greece have converged on Athens’s main square to protest against a potential Greek compromise in a dispute with neighbouring Macedonia over the former Yugoslav republic’s official name.

Tens of thousands of Greeks protest over Macedonia name dispute

Traffic was blocked throughout the city centre and three major subway stops were closed. Chanting “Hands off Macedonia!” and “Macedonia belongs to Greece!” tens of thousands of protesters converged on Syntagma Square in front of parliament, many waving flags bearing the Star of Vergina, the emblem of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia.

Police officials estimated the attendance at 140,000. Organisers, who claimed 1.5 million were protesting, used a crane to raise a massive Greek flag over the square. “We are trying to show the politicians … that they must not give up the name ‘Macedonia’,” said 55-year-old protester Manos Georgiou.

Suspected far-rightists attempted to attack the counter-demonstration but were prevented by police, who used stun grenades and tear gas to hold them back. The far-rightists responded by throwing rocks at police. There were also reported incidents of anarchists attacking some bikers.

The country is recognised by international institutions as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, even though about 130 countries refer to it simply as Macedonia. Many Greeks refer to it by the name of its capital, Skopje.

Greece argues use of the name implies territorial claims on its own province of Macedonia, home of one of the most famous ancient Greeks, Alexander the Great. Officials in Skopje counter that their country has been known as Macedonia for a long time.

Composer and former minister Mikis Theodorakis, 92, the keynote speaker at the rally, repeated the controversial claim that Greece’s neighbour wants to expand into Greek territory. “Using the name Macedonia as a vehicle and twisting historical events to a ridiculous extent, they actually seek to expand their borders at the expense of ours,” Mr Theodorakis said.

Rejecting any compromise on Greece’s part, Mr Theodorakis called for a referendum on the issue. The squabble has prevented Macedonia from joining Nato, to which Greece already belongs. The left-led governments in both countries have pledged to seek a solution this year, and have been holding talks with UN negotiator Matthew Nimetz.

The most likely solution will be to add a modifier such as “new” or “north” to the republic’s name but the proposals have triggered protests in both countries. The crowd at Sunday’s rally in Athens jeered when speakers mentioned Mr Nimetz’s name. “We’re expecting them to hear us,” protester Maria Iosifidou said of Greece’s politicians. “We don’t want Skopje to take the name … let them have another name.”</s>Tens of thousands of Greeks staged a mass rally in Athens Sunday, urging the government not to compromise in a festering name row with neighboring Macedonia.

Organizers claimed some 1.5 million people from across Greece and the Greek diaspora turned out to express their opposition to attempts by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' government to broker a deal.

Police put the figure at around 140,000.

Hundreds of buses were chartered to bring protesters from across the country to the Greek capital, while more were arriving on ferries from the islands. Police were halting traffic along major avenues in the city center, while vendors were setting up stalls selling Greek and Byzantine flags.

The more than quarter-century dispute broke out after Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Greece argues use of the name implies territorial claims on its own province of Macedonia, home of one of the most famous ancient Greeks, Alexander the Great.

Officials in Skopje counter that their country has been known as Macedonia for a long time.

"Macedonia is Greek and only Greek," the crowd chanted. People arrived in Athens for the rally from across the country, many coming by buses organized for the protest, state TV ERT reported.

"We will never allow another country to carry the name Macedonia in any form," Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, 92, told the protesters. Theodorakis composed the national anthem, but may be best known for the score of the iconic film "Zorba the Greek."

The protest was called by nationalist organizations and endorsed by rightist politicians and part of the Greek Orthodox clergy.

A rally last month in Thessaloniki, the capital of the province Macedonia, drew more than 100,000 demonstrators.

U.N.-brokered negotiations were fruitless and the row has cost Macedonia membership in NATO and progress toward the European Union, as Greece blocked both.

A change of leadership in Skopje last year and the arrival of the moderate Social Democrat Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, however, provided a new momentum.

In a thawed atmosphere, the U.N. envoy, Matthew Nimetz, offered new name proposals and visited the two capitals, preparing the ground for fresh talks.

Several protesters wore traditional garb, including the uniform of Greek guerrillas who fought Bulgarian bands and Ottoman forces in Macedonia in the early 20th century.

"Cretan eagles lie in the earth of Macedonia," a Cretan representative told the crowd. "We tell our sister, Macedonia, we will not allow anyone to carve you up."

The protest -- the second on the Macedonia issue in a fortnight -- was organized and funded by Greek diaspora groups, with the support of retired officer associations, cultural unions and church groups.

Anarchists stationed a counter-protest nearby, with riot police deployed to keep the two crowds apart.

Two weeks ago, tens of thousands had protested in Thessaloniki, the capital of Greece's Macedonia region. Police had estimated the turnout at over 90,000, while organizers claimed at least 400,000 attended.

The dispute has remained unresolved since the former Yugoslav republic's independence in 1991.

Greece considers the name "Macedonia" to be part of its own cultural heritage, as the province was the core of Alexander the Great's ancient empire.

Athens seeks guarantees that the use of the name by its neighbor implies no claim to parts of its own territory.

The government has accused far-right hardliners and the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party of trying to exploit the issue.

The government insists the rallies will not affect its determination to solve the issue and boost stability in the often tense Balkan region.

Athens says it is ready to accept a composite name that will establish a clear distinction from Greek Macedonia.

"The government is trying to give a patriotic solution to a problem that has troubled the country, its international relations and its diplomacy for over 25 years," government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said Sunday.

"Not having a solution undermines our national interest," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said last week.

Because of Greece's objections, Macedonia in 1993 joined the United Nations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

To break the deadlock, longterm U.N. mediator Matthew Nimetz has now proposed several alternative names in Macedonian, including "Republika Nova Makedonija" or the "Republic of New Macedonia".

A resolution of the issue is needed before Macedonia can join NATO or the EU.

"They seek to join NATO and the EU with our own vote, so they can threaten us tomorrow from a position of strength," Theodorakis said.

Greece in 2008 threatened to veto Macedonia's NATO entry. Skopje subsequently took the issue to the International Court of Justice, which said Athens had been wrong to block its land-locked neighbor's aspirations.</s>Thousands of Greeks have taken to the streets of Athens to protest the name of Macedonia, as the Greek government tries to resolve a decades-long dispute over what the neighboring country should actually be known as.

Protesters arrived by bus from all over the country, waving Greek flags and chanting "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 counterdemontsration by leftist activists and anarchists took place nearby, where scuffles broke out with far-right nationalists. After being pelted with rocks, police fired stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the mob.

The squabble with Macedonia has been ongoing since 1991, when the small Balkan country declared independence from Yugoslavia. Since then, it’s been known across the world as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but many Greeks refer to it by its capital city, Skopje. The name of Macedonia is contentious because to many Greeks, it implies a claim over the Greek region of the same name.

Although people from the country of Macedonia speak a Slavic language, the name of both places comes from the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, which gave rise to the famous conqueror and icon of Greek history, Alexander the Great.

The Greek government is currently in talks to resolve the issue, apparently agreeing to a new name for the country, which would also settle the disagreement holding back Macedonia’s entry into NATO.</s>More than 100,000 protesters from across Greece converged on Athens’ main square on Sunday to protest a potential Greek compromise in a dispute with neighbouring Macedonia over the former Yugoslav republic’s official name.

The dispute broke out after Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Greece argues use of the name implies territorial claims on its own province of Macedonia, once home of Alexander the Great.

Hundreds of buses brought protesters in from around the country, while more people arrived on ferries from the islands. Chanting “Hands off Macedonia!” and “Macedonia belongs to Greece!” the protesters converged on Syntagma Square, in front of the Greek parliament.

Police officials estimated the attendance at 140,000. Organisers, who claimed 1.5 million were at the rally, used a crane to raise a massive Greek flag over the square.

“We are trying to show the politicians ... that they must not give up the name ‘Macedonia’,” said 55-year-old protester Manos Georgiou.

About 700 left-wing and anarchist protesters set up a counter-demonstration nearby, bearing banners calling for Balkan unity. “Macedonia belongs to its bears,” read one banner.

Dozens of riot police were deployed to keep the two demonstrations separate.

The country is recognised by international institutions as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, even though about 130 countries refer to it simply as Macedonia. Many Greeks refer to it by the name of its capital, Skopje.

The squabble has prevented Macedonia from joining Nato, to which Greece already belongs. The left-led governments in both countries have pledged to seek a solution this year, and have been holding talks with a UN negotiator.</s>Hundreds of thousands of Greeks rallied outside parliament in Athens on Sunday to protest against the use of the term Macedonia in any settlement the government pursues with the ex-Yugoslav Republic to end a decades-old name row.

The two countries have agreed to step up negotiations, mediated by the United Nations, this year to settle the dispute, which has frustrated the aspirations of Greece's small northern neighbour to join NATO and the European Union.

Thoroughfares in central Athens turned into a sea of people waving blue and white Greek flags in what locals said was the largest gathering in decades, easily outdoing rallies against austerity foisted by lenders on the crisis-hit country.

Greece objects to Macedonia's name because it has its own region called Macedonia, and argues that its neighbour's use of the name, along with contentious articles in its constitution, imply territorial claims over Greek land.

Protesters hoisted a giant Greek flag over the demonstration with a crane on Sunday. They held banners reading "Hands off Macedonia!" and chanted the national anthem.

"I'm here for Macedonia. Macedonia is ours, it's part of Greece. We won't let them take it from us," said 72-year old Persefoni Platsouri clutching a Greek flag.

The case evokes strong emotions among Greeks who consider Macedonia, the ancient kingdom ruled by Alexander the Great, to be an integral part of their homeland and heritage.

Talks also reopened at a sensitive time for a country which is struggling to emerge from its worst debt crisis in decades and to regain sovereignty over economic policy-making after years of austerity mandated by international lenders.

Among Sunday's speakers was world-renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, who said the eight-year economic crisis had not wiped Greece's history from people's memories.

"If we give in, we are leaving the doors wide open for a tragic historical lie to come through and stay forever," the 93-year old leftist, a symbol of resistance against the 1967-1974 military junta, told a cheering crowd.

Talks between the two countries have been inconclusive since the Balkan state broke away from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Due to Greece's objections, Macedonia was admitted to the United Nations with the provisional name "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" in 1993, which remains its official title in international organisations. A majority of countries in the world refer to it simply as Macedonia.

Greece's leftist-led government has proposed a compound name, with a geographical qualifier, which would be the only name that could be used for the country.

But opinion polls in recent weeks have shown a majority of Greeks oppose the use of "Macedonia" in any solution. About 300,000 people turned out at a demonstration on Jan. 21 in Thessaloniki, capital of Greece's Macedonia region.

The issue has also strained relations between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' Syriza party and his small coalition ally, the right-wing Independent Greeks. The coalition government controls 154 seats in the 300-seat parliament.

The Macedonia issue helped bring down Greece's conservative government in 1993; the same party, now in opposition, has criticised Tsipras' administration for its negotiating tactics.

Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias said last week that Greece is preparing proposals which would be the basis of negotiations for a settlement with its neighbouring country.

"Here are the borders. This is Macedonia ... Macedonia is Greek, no one can take this name, no one can use it," said protester Rania Mainou, pointing on a map. (Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Catherine Evans)</s>ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Well over 100,000 protesters from across Greece converged Sunday on Athens’ main square to protest a potential Greek compromise in a dispute with neighboring Macedonia over the former Yugoslav republic’s official name.

Hundreds of charted buses brought protesters in from around the country to the Greek capital, while more people arrived on ferries from the islands. Traffic was blocked throughout the city center and three major subway stops were closed.

Chanting “Hands off Macedonia!” and “Macedonia belongs to Greece!” tens of thousands of protesters converged on Syntagma Square in front of parliament, many waving flags bearing the Star of Vergina, the emblem of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia.

Police officials estimated the attendance at 140,000. Organizers, who claimed 1.5 million were protesting, used a crane to raise a massive Greek flag over the square.

“We are trying to show the politicians … that they must not give up the name ‘Macedonia’,” said 55-year-old protester Manos Georgiou.

About 700 left-wing and anarchist protesters set up a counter-demonstration nearby, bearing banners calling for Balkan unity.

Dozens of riot police were deployed to keep the two demonstrations separate.

Suspected far-rightists attempted to attack the counter-demonstration, but were prevented by police, who used stun grenades and tear gas to hold them back. The far-rightists responded by throwing rocks at police. There were also reported incidents of anarchists attacking some bikers.

The name dispute broke out after Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

The country is recognized by international institutions as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, even though about 130 countries refer to it simply as Macedonia. Many Greeks refer to it by the name of its capital, Skopje.

Greece argues use of the name implies territorial claims on its own province of Macedonia, home of one of the most famous ancient Greeks, Alexander the Great.

Officials in Skopje counter that their country has been known as Macedonia for a long time.

Composer and former minister Mikis Theodorakis, 92, the keynote speaker at the rally, repeated the controversial claim that Greece’s neighbor wants to expand into Greek territory.

“Using the name Macedonia as a vehicle and twisting historical events to a ridiculous extent, they actually seek to expand their borders at the expense of ours,” Theodorakis said.

Rejecting any compromise on Greece’s part, Theodorakis called for a referendum on the issue.

The squabble has prevented Macedonia from joining NATO, to which Greece already belongs. The left-led governments in both countries have pledged to seek a solution this year, and have been holding talks with U.N. negotiator Matthew Nimetz.

The most likely solution will be to add a modifier such as “new” or “north” to the republic’s name. But the proposals have triggered protests in both countries.

The crowd at Sunday’s rally in Athens jeered when speakers mentioned Nimetz’s name.

“We’re expecting them to hear us,” protester Maria Iosifidou said of Greece’s politicians. “We don’t want Skopje to take the name …let them have another name.”

About 100,000 people attended a similar protest last month in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, the capital of Greece’s province of Macedonia.

Raphael Kominis and Demetris Nellas in Athens contributed to this report.</s>"Since 12 p.m. [10:00 GMT], demonstrations on the Syntagma square have been held involving around 140,000 citizens. They are occupying the area of 50,000 square meters [12.4 acres] on the Syntagma square," the police said in a statement.

According to the law enforcement data, 283 buses brought the protesters to the demonstration site.

Meanwhile, the demonstration’s organizers said that over a million of people attended the rally.

A Sputnik correspondent reported that the protesters were holding the flags of Greece and the Greek Orthodox Church, well as posters with the slogan "Macedonia is Greece."

The demonstrators say that they rally in support of Greece’s unity and against "betrayal" of its national interests, referring to the government’s willingness to a compromise with Skopje in the Macedonia name dispute.

Apart from the Macedonia name rally, a counter-protest is held by Greek far-left groups in Athens. According to the police data, the rally brought together around 400 people, mainly from the city's central Exarcheia neighborhood, popular among students, anarchists and anti-globalists.

Greece is involved in talks with Macedonia, referred to as FYROM by Athens, to resolve the decades-long dispute on the name of the country. Athens has been claiming that Skopje might have territorial claims over Greece’s region of the same name.

Some 140,000 people attended a rally against the use of the word "Macedonia" in the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which took place in central Athens on Sunday, the Greek police said.
Tens of thousands of people demonstrate in Athens against the willingness manifested by the Cabinet of Greece to make concessions in the long-standing dispute with the Republic of Macedonia.