From [HERE] and [HERE] Several thousands of immigrants marched in Athens on Friday to protest police sweeps and a rash of racist attacks in Greece as the country struggles to pull itself out of a huge debt crisis.

Greece is a major gateway for mostly Asian and African migrants trying to enter the European Union. They face increased hostility as the country struggles through its deepest post- World War Two recession and record unemployment, propelling the ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn party to parliament for the first time since the fall of a military junta in 1974.

They called for an end to police raids on immigrants. Earlier this month 6,000 people were detained in an operation across Athens. “This is a first action against the racist pogroms of the police which encourage the neo-Nazis of Golden Dawn to come out in neighbourhoods and murder and attack people,” said Tasos Anastasiou of the “Expel Racism” movement. The ultra-nationalist party won 18 parliamentary seats in June’s elections. Its supporters have been accused of violent attacks on immigrants.

Golden Dawn does not condone the assaults but it does blame immigrants for a rising crime wave.

Greece is a major gateway to Europe for economic migrants, and austerity and recession have made them easy targets.