SYRIZA lawmaker Petros Konstantineas was beaten and slightly injured by a group of people over the Macedonia issue.
The incident took place outside the hangout of ‘Bulldogs’, supporters of local football club “Blck Storm” in Kalamata, Peloponnese, on Sunday afternoon.
The MP had just left a football match and was walking by the hangout, when a group of people fell over him and started to beat him.
Prior to the assault, the supported had shouted at him that he has “sold out Macedonia, and Konstantineas had shouted back something, local media Elefhteria tis Kalamatas reported.
The group was consisting of around 30 people and some of them were reportedly holding wooden sticks.
The worst was avoided with the intervention of two of the lawmaker’s friends.
Concerned about the attack, local residents called police and units that were deployed at the football stadium rushed to the spot.
Five people have been detained.
Konstantineas was submitted to Kalamata hospital.
“It was an extreme fascist incident,” the MP told Eleftheria newspaper. “They stopped me asking me to apologize for Macedonia. Wherever fascism comes from it will not pass, not before they find me on the ground.”
The hospital manager told Athens New sAgency that Konstantineas had suffered slight injuries and was excepted to be released form hospital on Sunday night.
The attack was condemned by the coalition government parties, by main opposition New Democracy and a local PASOK branch.
The Prime Minister’s office urged in a statement that the attackers have to be brought to justice.
The Prespes Agreement between Greece and FYROM had divided Greeks with a part of the society to believe that the government had made concessions that threaten the existence of the Macedonia region in Northern Greece.
The dispute has often ended in violence outbreaks. 75-year-old Mayor of Thessaloniki Yannis Boutaris was assaulted by a mob last May over his views on the Macedonia issue.
Even Tsipras’ coalition partner Kammenos and his party Independent Greeks are against the Agreement and threaten to withdraw from the government once the Agreement comes for ratification in the Parliament.
