Far-right protesters clash with opposing groups in Thessaloniki after student march

Clashes broke out between members of far-right and anti-establishment groups in Thessaloniki, after the end of a student march to protest government efforts to end a dispute with the neighboring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Local media reported that hooded nationalists started throwing stones against opposing groups.

Police intervened using tear gas to disperse far-right protesters who responded by throwing stones and other objects. 

Thursday’s protest was organized by northern Greek teenagers, who have kept dozens of high schools in Thessaloniki and neighboring areas closed for days in protest at a proposed deal to normalize relations with FYROM.

In Athens, a group named “Initiative to Coordinate Schools and Students in Athens” held a protest rally earlier in the day, urging students “not to allow fascists to find room for expression in our schools.”