Greek neo-Nazi party protests Cyprus bailout proposal

Nearly a thousand supporters of the Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn protested at the German embassy in central Athens Friday over proposed EU-IMF bailout terms to rescue debt-hit Cyprus.

Demonstrators dressed in black and with shaven heads brandished banners that read "Get out Germany" and "Get out Merkel" in protest at the EU -- and the eurozone's biggest economy in particular -- for strict austerity measures imposed first on Greece, and potentially now on its ally Cyprus, in exchange for bailout funds.

Cyprus has until Monday to raise 5.8 billion euros ($7.47 billion) to unlock loans worth 10 billion euros or risk exiting the eurozone.

Golden Dawn, formerly on the fringe of Greek politics, has seen its ratings soar since last year in a country weary of austerity and political corruption. The party saw 18 deputies elected to parliament in June for the first time in its history.

A separate protest in the Greek capital drew left-wing supporters holding banners with the slogan "Greece and Cyprus against the euro".

The Cypriot parliament's rejection on Tuesday of a tax on bank deposits as a condition of a bailout deal has won admiration from left-wing politicians and press alike.

Germany has said it wants Cyprus to remain part of the 17-member eurozone.

Source http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130322/greek-neo-nazi-party-protests-cyprus-bailout-proposal