Hundreds of neo-Nazis march through Athens to commemorate 'fall of Constantinople'

ATHENS - Agence France-Presse

Members and supporters of the extreme right party Golden Dawn march in front of the Greek Parliament in central Athens on Wednesday May 29, 2013, during a rally marking the anniversary of the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis

Hundreds of Greek neo-Nazis marched with torches through the streets of Athens late Wednesday to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the "fall of Constantinople."

The militants from the ultranationalist Golden Dawn party shouted "Blood, honour, Golden Dawn" and "Greece belongs to the Greeks." After several fiery speeches against the Turks and communists in the square outside Athens cathedral, they marched on parliament, where the party has held 18 seats since January.

The annual march concluded without incident, unlike last year when a Pakistani man who found himself in their path was attacked by 15-20 neo-Nazis.

This year's march did cause concern among tourists in the Greek capital.

"When they arrived, all the tourists paid their bills and left," said Fotis, a waiter at the Meatropoleos restaurant in central Athens.

Greece's ruling coalition is split over a bid to toughen an anti-racism law aimed at curbing Golden Dawn, amid fears it could unwittingly alienate the influential Orthodox church.

The proposed bill would impose prison sentences of up to three years and a fine of up to 20,000 euros for hate speech and the denial or praise of war crimes and genocide.

Rights groups believe Golden Dawn has instigated a recent wave of violence against migrants, which the party denies.