Far right MEP Lagos in Evros to defend Greek border

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS

The press office of Greece’s main opposition party, Syriza, condemned Friday an attack of what it called "armed storm troopers" against asylum seekers on the island of Lesvos.

Syriza described the attackers as ”thugs” and said they have nothing to do with Greek police, the National Guard or the Coast Guard as the government falsely named the group.

The party said confirmation came from Lesvos police and port authorities, and it criticized the government for sliding into far-right extremism and incompetence that encouraged even German neo-Nazis to come to Greece to fight “so-called invaders."

Far right Member of European Parliament (MEP) Ioannis Lagos was pictured along with locals patrolling the border from the illegal entrance of migrants and refugees early Friday, according to local media.

And members of an extreme-right German group traveled to Greece to help Greeks “defend their border,” it claimed on social media but were told to leave the country after local security services were informed of the group’s presence at the Greek-Turkish border.

The group of 10 German and Austrian nationals of the Identitare Bewegung (Identitarian Movement), a far right group with branches in several European countries, traveled to Greece through the Promachonas border in the Serres region, Greek media reported.

The groups were pictured on social media holding Greek and Austrian flags and a banner that said: ”No way. You will not make Europe your home.”