Not the reception expected?

WHAT did the German Chancellor expect when she deemed it right to visit Greece this week. If she expected flag waving - he got it, but it was Nazi flags that were waved. If she expected a warm reception she got it  from more than 50,000 in Athens, chanting slogans against her.

  There were more than 7,000 police on the streets and more in reserve, when, despite a ban of publish gatherings the Greeks turned out, mainly without violence, to pent their anger over the draconian measure that have been forced upon them.

  Police, who mounted a large security operation, stopped and searched 217 people while 24 were arrested and charged for a range of offenses. Some of those detained were stopped ahead of the rally in preventive checks while others are believed to have been involved in attacks on police who warded off youths hurling stones by firing tear gas. A couple of the detainees are believed to be linked to urban guerrilla groups Revolutionary Struggle and Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire, Kathimerini understands. Lawyers of suspected members of Revolutionary Struggle, currently on trial at Korydallos high-security prison, reportedly complained that some of their witnesses could not make it to court as they were detained by police in central Athens. Conspiracy claimed responsibility for parcel bombs sent to several EU leaders, including Angela Merkel, in 2010.

  The Greek prime minister got endorsements from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European finance chiefs as well as signals that the country’s next aid payment was in the offing.

  International inspectors known as the troika are due back in Athens this week after a pause that provided Samaras’s three- party with backing to continue efforts to carve out 13.5 billion euros ($17.4 billion) of new budget cuts.