* Greeks received Angela Merkel with anger
* Greek chancellor advises austerity
Tens of thousands of Greek protesters gathered on the streets of Athens yesterday, expressing their anger against German chancellor Angela Merkel, who made her first visit in this country, after the outburst of the sovereign debt crisis, in 2009.
Thousands of people took to the streets yesterday, and the important areas in the center of Athens were closed to ensure the security of the meetings between Merkel, Greek prime-minister Antonis Samaras and president Karolos Papoulias.
The Berlin official arrived in Athens at around 13:30, and at 14:30, the Police announced that approximately 25,000 protesters were already in the Syntagma Square, which is outside the closed-off zone.
They were protesting against the European leader, who they blamed for the spending cuts which Greece had to make.
The protesters were waving banners which said "You are not welcome, imperialists out!" or "NO to the Fourth Reich!" Other protesters were bearing Swastika banners. When the protests turned violent, the police used tear gas.
Tens of protesters were arrested by the police.
Merkel has become one of the objects of Greece's hate due to the harsh spending cuts it imposed on the country in exchange for the foreign aid of 347 billion Euros (448 billion Euros), which Athens was forced to resort to after years of excessive spending. The caricatures displayed by the Greeks even showed up under the guise of Adolf Hitler, in the Greek tabloids.
A teacher aged 37, who participated in yesterday's protests, said, quoted by the international media: "I have a PhD and I earn 900 Euros a month, less than 400 Euros what I used to. We have children who are hungry and most of the parents are unemployed".
Another protester, a store owner, said that Merkel's visit "pour
