The Greeks are revolting again: German flag burned on the streets as they react angrily to historic Eurozone deal

First came the cartoons of Chancellor Merkel dressed up in a Nazi uniform.

Now angry Greeks are venting their fury over austerity measures being introduced as a result of their country's debt crisis by burning the German flag.



Thousands of anti-austerity protesters flocked into Thessaloniki , Greece's second largest city forcing the cancellation of an annual military parade commemorating the nation's entry into the Second World War.



Anger: Greeks protesters, furious at austerity measures being introduced as a result of the country's debt crisis burn a German flag in the city of Thessaloniki

And here's what we think of Europe: A Union flag goes up in flames after a military parade had to be cancelled in the northern Greek port city

The demonstrators heckled President Karolos Papoulias and other attending officials, calling him a traitor, and some anarchists spat at retired military officers.

In several other Greek cities, officials were heckled but most of the commemorative parades went ahead as scheduled.

The protests came two days after Europe's leaders announced a strengthened financial rescue plan that includes bigger write-downs of Greek debt and new injections of capital into weakened European banks.

Police push back protesters on Iraklion, on Crete, while smaller incidents took place in the cities of Patra, Kalamata, Trikala and Nafplio

Greeks are furious at the deal, even though it means the banks will write off 50 per cent of the country’s debt and Socialist prime minister George Papandreou said Greece had ‘avoided a mortal national danger’.

In Thessaloniki, the protesters blocked the parade route, forcing police to intervene and protect the officials' stand until it was evacuated.

After waiting in the parade stand for about 30 minutes, Mr Papoulias left, but not before launching a broadside against the protesters.

Rally: Students with Greek flags march after an official military parade was cancelled when thousands of anti-austerity protesters swarmed into the city Fears: Demonstrators shout slogans as they carry a banner of the Greek flag with a swastica alongside the words 'No to the Fourth Reich' Greeks from all walks of life are furious at austerity measures being brought in as part of the Eurozone debt deal

'When I was 15, I fought against Nazism and the German occupiers. Who are they calling me a traitor? Shame on them,' he told reporters. Mr Papoulias, 82, joined the Greek resistance in 1944, during the last months of the three-year German occupation. The protesters included leftists, anarchists, neo-Nazis, people fed up with the government's austerity policies, and fans of the local soccer club Iraklis, which was pushed out of the top division because of financial irregularities. Asked if the protesters were justified, given the government's biting austerity measures and Greece's deep recession, Papoulias said the demonstrators represented 'a small minority'. The demonstrators heckled President Karolos Papoulias calling him a traitor, and some anarchists spat at retired military officers

Attack: A street poster in Greece has depicted Angela Merkel in a Nazi uniform with a swastika surrounded by the EU stars. The accompanying words describe her as a 'public nuisance'

Satirical: Cartoons appearing in Greek newspapers have drawn comparisons with the Nazis

'The great mass of the people accept all these austerity measures that hit the weakest because they hope for a better day, when we will overcome the crisis and clean our house,' Papoulias said.

A student parade through Athens commemorating the day ended without a major incident.Bbut some protesters carried banners with slogans such as 'No to the selling out of the country,' and 'Merkel equals Hitler,' referring to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who played a big role in negotiating the new euro-nation rescue plan.

The demonstrators were condemned by the government and the conservative opposition, but justified by some leftist parties.