Greece's government scurried to staunch the heavy flow of racist violence currently dividing the country, as conservative political leaders and their center-left counter parts butted heads over a way to attack anti-immigrant demonstrations and sentiments.
The European country has experienced a fair amount of strife in the recent past. Greece is in its sixth year of recession, has a steady stream of immigrants entering the country illegally and has seen an enormous division between conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samara's government ever since the European Union has pressured the nation to tighten up their anti-racism laws.
According to the Washington Post, there has also been a noted spike in support for a political party that publicly voices xenophobic ideas, called the Golden Dawn Party.
The prime minister's center-right New Democracy party recently denied endorsing a bill that restored racial equality laws, choosing instead to instate a few changes to laws passed almost 35 years ago.
But his direct partners in the coalition government-Socialist Pasok party and the Democratic Left-put in more proposals for a private members bill, the Washington Post reported.
In a statement Samaras released concerning the racial issues in Greece, the prime minister wrote that the Neo-Nazis stirring up trouble must not cause the nation's unity to waver.
"What matters is that we unite political parties and the people against the Nazis, and not to let the danger of neo-Nazism divide us," he said.
The aforementioned neo-Nazis have created widespread chaos, with immigrants being attacked on the streets and racial violent running rampant.
The European Union recently told Greece they must begin prosecuting the racist troublemakers.
New York-based organization Human Rights Watch agreed on Thursday, as representative Judith Sunderlan said that Greece must spring into action.
"With people being attacked on the streets, Greece urgently needs to beef up its criminal justice response to hate crimes," she commented.
The racism bill has yet to be put into legislation, as debate continues. Some claim that it will clash with constitutional free speech and assembly rights. Others worry that the financial crisis might worsen at the hands of the law.
Members of Parliament will vote on the bill in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, a few thousand Golden Dawn protesters gathered in central Athens on Wednesday, holding Greek flags, torches with orange flames and signs bearing anti-immigrant rhetoric.
"Foreigners out of Greece," they chanted.
