Greeks celebrate independence day

Greeks celebrated independence day with traditional parades and marches through most major cities. In Thessaloniki school students took part in parades with soldiers along the sea front. Afterwards the local ultra - nationalist  Orthodox bishop, Anthimos along with representatives of the far right LAOS party, Kriakos Velopoulos spoke out against any Greek compromise over the naming of Greece's northern neighbour, Macedonia.

It should be noted that military units taking part in the parade shouted slogans that the only Macedonia was the Greek province of Macedonia.

Government representative, Evangelos Antonaros downplayed the incident with the protests over Tibet concerning the olympic flame, adding that such protests had nothing to do with the spirit of the Olympic Games.He failed to answer if human rights were included in that spirit.