No less than 140,000 Greeks have rioted in Athens in a challenge about the decades-long disagreement regarding the name Macedonia.
Numerous Greeks question the nation of a similar verbally abusing itself Macedonia, saying it infers a regional claim on Greece's northern Macedonia area.
Dissidents contradict Greek government proposition on settling the issue.
Observed Zorba The Greek arranger Mikis Theodorakis, 92, was among those tending to the group.
Rebels smeared red paint over his home on Saturday however he was courageous, announcing, "I am quiet and prepared."
How high are interests in Athens?
Demonstrators conveying Greek banners droned "hands off Macedonia" and "Macedonia is Greece", as they gathered in Syntagma Square outside parliament.
Greek author Mikis Theodorakis gives a discourse amid an exhibition to ask the administration not to trade off in the putrefying name push with neighboring Macedonia, at the Syntagma Square in Athens, on 4 February
Mr Theodorakis asked the group to wait for a worthy answer for the question with the "Skopjans", as he named the northern neighbor
"Macedonia was, is and will everlastingly be Greek," Mr Theodorakis told the colossal group, including that any recommendation of a name to determine the debate must be put to a submission.
"On the off chance that an administration thinks about marking for the benefit of our nation... there is no uncertainty it should first ask the Greek individuals."
He said the neighboring northern state was "ill-conceived".
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias as of late got demise dangers when he said he anticipated that the debate would be settled inside months.
Greeks challenging in Athens, 4 February
It is the second such challenge inside two weeks
"Here are the fringes," said dissenter Rania Mainou from Xanthi in northern Greece. "This is Macedonia. Here, these are Slavs, they are not Macedonians, we are Macedonians. Macedonia is Greek, nobody can take this name, nobody can utilize it."
Coordinators of Sunday's challenge assessed that 1.5 million individuals had gone to however police said turnout was short of what one tenth of that.
To what extent has this column been thundering?
The question has stewed since Macedonia picked up freedom from Yugoslavia in 1991 and it has held up its endeavors to join Nato and the EU.
Greece's left-wing Syriza government says the issue is a conciliatory obstruction it needs settled and has proposed consenting to a composite name for the nation which would incorporate the word Macedonia however guarantee a reasonable separation from the Greek area.
Macedonia contends that its kin can be followed back to the antiquated kingdom of Macedon, once administered by Alexander the Great, and that the name "Macedonia" is in this manner the intelligent alternative.
Notwithstanding, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said a month ago that Macedonia would change the name of its airplane terminal from Skopje Alexander the Great air terminal, to indicate cooperative attitude.
The Greek Orthodox Church backs the crusade to stop Macedonia utilizing any variation of the name.
What names are being mooted?
In associations, for example, the UN, where talks have been under way, the nation is formally known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
At home, the Macedonian government calls the nation it manages essentially "Republic of Macedonia".
UN arbiter Matthew Nimetz has recommended choices, for example, "Republic of New Macedonia".
A proposition to name it "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje" was allegedly acknowledged by Greece yet dismissed by Macedonia.