Merkel greeted by furious protests

Thousands of police officers cordoned off whole sectors of the city to prevent demonstrators embarassing Ms Merkel, though police still detained over 50 people during the day. Even in unrestricted areas pedestrians were stopped and searched.

But the crowds made their message clear, gathering outside parliament and chanting: "History is written by the disobedient."

As leader of the EU's biggest economy and an outspoken champion of its assault on public spending across the continent Ms Merkel is widely blamed in Greece for the government's austerity programme and the deepening recession.

Even special forces reservists were on the streets - with a contingent in uniform chanting: "Merkel out of Greece" in time to their march.

Navy Seal reservist Giorgos Drakopoulos said: "All the Greek people must rally together to rid the country of those who oppress and humiliate us."

Since 2008 the Greek economy has shrunk by more than a fifth. But the German chancellor insisted austerity was working.

"Much of the ground has been covered. There is daily progress," she said after talks with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras - but added that further budget cuts "should be seen through.

"Otherwise it would make the circumstances even more dramatic later on," she said.

And Mr Samaras said that Greeks were proud "and know how to welcome a friend. We welcome a friend today."

The massed security forces separating his countryfolk from Ms Merkel implied otherwise.