Greece’s major opposition conservative party New Democracy (ND) issued a statement on the riots that broke out during the large Macedonia rally at Syntagma Square, Sunday accusing the government of failing to prevent a group of masked people from starting provocations against the police.

The statement posed some direct questions to PM Alexis Tsipras, calling on him to explain why the authorities had failed to handle the situation which led to the widespread use tear gas by police eventually resulting in the large crowd scattering.

New Democracy responded to allegations by the ruling SYRIZA party that it had not condemned the action of extreme elements on Sunday, asking the government to explain “why the legal case of members of the extreme right Golden Dawn has not been completed after four years”.

ND provoked the government officials to release photographs “showing the specific masked thugs walking unhindered long before their planned assault”.

The statements asked: “Why did the Ministry of Citizen’s Protection allow this group to reach the Unknown Soldier, while everyone was watching the hooded elements strolling around in the streets of the capital unchecked, carrying crowbars and wooden beams?”
The statement also expresses bewilderment as to why none of the 2,000 police officers made a single arrest of the rioters but instead detained peaceful citizens once they raised a banner against the Prespes Agreement.