Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Athens on Sunday, days before the Greek Parliament was to vote on ratifying an agreement to rename the country’s northern neighbor North Macedonia.
Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, a conservative, told reporters that the rally was “a demonstration for democracy, for Greece, for what we know to be right.”
But around 3 p.m., witnesses said clashes had broken out and footage shared on social media showed the police using tear gas on some demonstrators. The police said that 10 officers had been wounded in the clashes.
Organizers of the rally, who have staged several demonstrations against the deal over the past year, said Sunday’s protest could be one of their biggest, with 600,000 people expected to attend. But in a statement, the police estimated the turnout at close to 60,000.