At least 133 people were detained by the Greek police for the riots that happened on Thursday evening at the Greek parliament during a mass rally against the Athens agreement with Skopje to rename Macedonia, Naftemporiki newspaper wrote on Friday with reference to law enforcement agencies, Trend reports referring to TASS.
According to the newspaper, the Greek police detained 133 people in the area of the central metropolitan Syntagma square, 10 of whom were subsequently arrested for participating in clashes.
The organizers of the protest announced that it would be necessary to continue the struggle and to come to a new meeting on Friday at 11:00 to the parliament. As expected, on Friday afternoon in the parliament will pass a vote on an agreement with Skopje.
On June 17, 2018, the Macedonian and Greek top diplomats signed the Prespa Agreement stipulating that the former Yugoslav republic would change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Once the Macedonian parliament approves constitutional amendments making sure that the country abandons its irredentist claims, the Agreement will be submitted to the Greek parliament for ratification.
The document was supposed not only to resolve the years-long dispute with Athens but will also to allow Skopje to officially launch the process of joining NATO and the European Union.
On January 19, the agreement was submitted for consideration and ratification to the Greek Parliament.
On Monday and Tuesday, the discussion of the document took place in the relevant committee of the main legislative body of Greece, and on Wednesday and Thursday the debate was held in plenary session. The Greek government hoped that it would be able to enlist votes from 151 to 155 deputies to ratify the Prespa Agreement in the 300-seat unicameral parliament of the country.