As German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, made her first trip to Greece since 2007, she was greeted by angry demonstrators in the country's capital city. Greeks came out in droves to protest the visit, as many Greeks believe Germany to be a central player behind the austerity measures taken by the debt-stricken country. CNBC's Carolin Roth reports.By NBC News staff and wire servicesTens of thousands of angry Greek protesters filled the streets of Athens on Tuesday to greet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who offered sympathy but no promise of further aid on her first visit since the euro crisis erupted three years ago.
Follow @NBCNewsWorld (http://twitter.com/NBCNewsWorld) As police fired tear gas and stun grenades to halt angry crowds chanting anti-austerity slogans and waving swastika flags, Merkel's host, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, welcomed her as a "friend."
Blamed by many Greeks for imposing draconian budget cuts in exchange for aid, Merkel reaffirmed Berlin's commitment to keep the debt-crippled Greek state inside Europe's single currency.
"I have come here today in full knowledge that the period Greece is living through right now is an extremely difficult one for the Greeks and many people are suffering," Merkel said during a joint news conference with Samaras just a few hundred yards from the mayhem on Syntagma Square, outside parliament.
NBCNews
wow! they have to take things easy o...protest isn't necessary sometimes