Government and aligned media malign Syntagma demonstrators and fume at Mikis

The government and the opposition are attempting to decode these messages in order to draw precious conclusions on the follow-up: If the protesters projected their anger and passion concerning only the name of FYROM or reflects wider and deeper concerns in the political consciousness of society expressed through the rally.

The government and SYRIZA party rushed to diminsh numbers and detract from the gravity of the crowd, arguing that a mere several thousand people had gathered. ND President Kyriakos Mitsotakis pointed out that the rally was magnificent and the participants sent a message of lack of confidence in the government.

What is certain is is that tpopular participation cut across the political spectrum: from ND to the extreme right and from the center to the center-left, with Church presence being exceptionally high.

The rally was attended by top oppositon New Democracy deputies Antonis Samaras, Adonis Georgiadis, Sofia Voultepsi, and others, the President of the Union of Cenrists, Vassilis Leventis, as well as MEP Eva Kaili.

Disagreements over attendance: 1.5 million say the organizers, 140 thousand say police

As for the number of those attending - as usual - they differ. The organizers, for their part, argue that the number of citizens found in the rally for Macedonia in downtown Athens reached 1.5 million. Police, on the other hand, speak fof 140,000.

It should be noted that for the rally in Thessaloniki the organizers talked about 500,000 people and policer 90,000. It is certain that hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the center of the capital and that it was a spectacular gathering, greater than that of Thessaloniki.

After the rally, government cadres made every effort to denigrate the demonstration and downplay the numbers. Most government aligned media continue to cast slurs at organizers and attendees, speaking of right wing agendas, alterior motives, fascist leanings and deride the clergy, viwing more,or less, any mention of "nation", or "natinal interest" as anathema.

Meanwhile, social media is awash with a very systematic rehash of "news" that are obviously fake for anyone who was there. In any event the rally was held peacefully and was attemded by hundreds of thousands of Hellenes from all over Greece and across the globe. There were no slogans against politicians, or partes. 

Mikis Theodoraakis

The great composer Mikis Theodorakis, a man who paid dearly for his political views at the hand of dictators and right wing governments, was there as the very soul of the rally.

For his participation he is being slammed by government media and supporters. Some cannot forgive the patriarch of Greek music, now 92, for having a view that places national interest above political tactics, which he believes will damage the country, and has the strength and courage to publically say so. The vandalism of his home the day before only strengthened his resolve, as he admitted in his speech.