Greek demonstrators protest Merkel's visit of Athens
Demonstrators gather as German Chancellor, vilified for Greece's tough spending cuts, meets Greek PM to discuss country's ongoing austerity
Athens ground to a halt yesterday for German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel's first visit since the financial crisis began, as police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who tried to storm a barricade near Parliament. Two Nazi flags were draped on the steel fence near Parliament and set on fire.
Vilified for Greece's punishing spending cuts, Merkel, the leader of Europe's paymaster, met Greek Prime Minister Antonio Samaras as demonstrators gathered just a few blocks away, some brandishing banners reading "You are not welcome, Imperialisten Raus [Imperialists out]" or "No to the Fourth Reich".
Merkel, who stopped in Athens for five hours, said that a "tough path" of austerity was the best way for Greece to overcome its economic crisis.
"Much of the ground has been covered ... There is daily progress," Merkel said after talks with Samaras. "This is an effort that should be seen through because otherwise it would make the circumstances even more dramatic later on."
She also praised the course of Greek reforms and repeated her desire to keep Greece in the euro zone, a badly needed message of support to the country's embattled government.
Thousands of police were out on the streets and key parts of central Athens were closed off to create a large security zone for Merkel's meetings with Samaras and President Carolos Papoulias.