"In all cases, the security forces acted in accordance with operational planning and orders, maintained composure and professionalism and effectively countered attacks using appropriate means, thereby thwarting the intentions of these organized groups," the police said.
According to the police, as many as ten Greek police officers were hospitalized following the attack.
Ένταση στα σκαλιά της Βουλής μεταξύ διαδηλωτών και ΜΑΤ pic.twitter.com/3MEowmjhoG
— Sputnik Ελλάδα (@SputnikEllada) 20 января 2019 г.
The Greek government said that the members of the far-right Greek political party Golden Dawn were those who staged the provocation and intended to attack the parliament building.
Συμπλοκή μεταξύ διαδηλωτών και ΜΑΤ στα σκαλιά της Βουλής pic.twitter.com/bNNzgyrxeD
— Sputnik Ελλάδα (@SputnikEllada) 20 января 2019 г.
Earlier in the day, the police reported that about 60,000 people took part in a rally against the Greece-Macedonia name change deal at Syntagma Square in Athens. Groups of rioters in hoods and gas masks staged a provocation during the rally and made an attempt to break through to the parliament building, and the police, in turn, used tear gas.
On June 17, the agreement between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) was signed in the border town of Prespa in an attempt to solve their decades-long dispute over the name "Macedonia," with Greece objecting to its use because it was also the name of one of its regions. Under the deal, Macedonia changes its name to the Republic of North Macedonia.
While some Greek politicians believe that the name "Macedonians" should be reserved exclusively for those who live in the Greek region of Macedonia, some in Skopje see the deal as a blow to the country's national identity.
Last week, the Macedonian parliament ratified a constitutional amendment to rename the country to the Republic of North Macedonia.
