The Pontian Association of Greece is has organized a protest at Syntagma square at the centre of Athens and is still in  progress.

They gathered to protest against the statements of Minister of Education Nikos Filis who refuted the Pontic Genocide and the fact that this chapter has been removed from the high school student books of Greek history.

Nikos Filis is under fire for his comments during an interview on Monday refuting the Pontic Genocide followed by conservative New Democracy deputy Miltiadis Varvitsiotis’ revelations that high school students are no longer being taught about this dark chapter in recent history. The absence of genocide teachings from Greek history books was decreed in June by former education minister Aristidis Baltas.

The people gathered at Syntagma square are holding Greek and Pontian flags while Pontian music is being played by the speakers.

The Association stressed that the fact that Minister of Education has not been removed from his position insults the historical truth.

Filis comments that the Pontic genocide, recognized by Greek Parliament in 1994, was nothing more than “a bloody ethnic cleansing” caused outrage. The Panpontic Federation of Greece (POE) reacted by announcing a demonstration at Syntagma Square Athens at 4 p.m. on Thursday, November 5. They hope in this way to protest against the government official’s refusal to acknowledge 370,000 Greeks who were killed on the shores of the Black Sea between 1914 and 1923.