NEWS

Thessaloniki mayor targeted over square name

Residents and protesters engaged in racist chants and booed Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris and other dignitaries on Friday when a section of one of the northern city’s squares was named after Albania’s second-largest city, Durres.

Boutaris decided to rename part of Thessaloniki’s Karaiskaki Square after Durres (known as Dyrrachio in Greek) as part of a twinning with the Albanian city, which was founded by ancient Greeks in the 7th century BC.

A park in Durres is soon to be named after Thessaloniki.

Protesters holding Greek flags chanted slogans against Boutaris, his guests and migrants.

It was not clear if the demonstrators were affiliated to a particular political party.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.