More than 2500 Greek clergy, monastics and simple lay people (Old and New Calendarists and a few dozen members of far right groups) gathered today in Constitution Square in Athens to protest the new Citizen's Card.
The Associated Press has dubbed these protesters "Orthodox Christian fundamentalists" and explained that "the protest has been peaceful except for a brief altercation with motorists when the protesters tried to block traffic."
Protesters were seen holding signs reading "No To the Citizen's Card" and "Orthodoxy or Death", while others were holding the Greek flag or the Byzantine two-headed eagle.
As for well-known ecclesiastical personalities in attendance, there was Fr. Nektarios Moulatsiotis who is the Abbot of the St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Seraphim of Sarov Monastery (who insists there were 10,000 faithful in attendance), Fr. Sarantis Sarantou (who speaks in the video below), the Abbot of the Great Meteoron at Meteora and the Abbot of the old and schismatic Esphigmenou Monastery on Mount Athos.
It is believed by the protesters that the reception of the Greek Citizen's Card could pose dangers to their identity as Orthodox Christians in Greece and that it may lead to the reception of the mark of the Antichrist since it is erroneously believed the bar code of the Card contains the number 666.
Read more here and here with photos of the gathering.
