Prespa Agreement

Yesterday was Sunday and we took a bus tour to Delphi.  We visited the temple of Apollo, the ancient ruins and the archaeological museum there. The drive to Mount Parnassus was about three hours. As we left Athens about 8 in the morning we saw vendors lining up selling the blue and white Greek flags. Many people were carrying flags. This did not appear to be a typical Sunday morning. As our bus traveled north to Delphi we saw 80 or more buses heading south toward Athens. The people were gathering in  Athens on this Sunday for a political rally. The rally was about the Prespa agreement between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. As we came back into town under the full moon we noticed no buses heading north. Our tour guide said this was a concern because it might mean the streets of Athens were closed due to the demonstration. She tried to make alternative plans so we could all get to our destinations.  As the bus pulled up to the Acropolis part of town, where we are located, she said we would be safe walking from here. Then the bus stopped. She said we would not be safe walking from here.  From the bus we could see people in the square blocking our street.  One young man was lobbing rocks across the square toward a line of police all wearing white helmets, white boots, and carrying riot shields. A couple other young men brought him things to throw but just one kid was doing the throwing. The bus tried to back up but could not. We waited at watched for about ten minutes. Our tour guide, who must have been in contact with the police, said the situation would clear up soon. Suddenly the riot police ran toward the bus. The kids got out of the way and the bus surged forward quickly with police on both sides of the bus. I had to admire the bus driver's skill in maneuvering this tour bus through an excited situation. Once across the square he turned down a side street. We went two blocks and excited the bus. From there we had a ten minute walk to our place. As we walked home we could see diners eating in cafes and bistros as if nothing important was going on. We got home safe and sound.  I read that people were injured that day in Athens.  Police had to use tear gas to break up the crowd. Why the citizens of Greece are so upset about the name of a neighboring country is beyond my comprehension.