Greece has accused its neighbor Macedonia of shaming Europe by using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse migrants who tried to breach a border. Macedonia said the mobs attacked first, and insisted it did not use any kind of bullets. Athens has called on the EU and the U.N. to take a stand.

The situation at the Greek border town of Idomeni got intense on Sunday. Fresh rumors that the crossing to Macedonia would open spread to desperate migrants in the area. They tore down a part of the fence, but Macedonian border guards dispersed them with tear gas. Other guards were seen firing guns.

It was calmer a day after. Migrant children collected more than 100 tear gas canisters. And for the parents, this is not the reception they expected.

"We saved our children from death. If they had died in Syria under the air strikes, it would have been better than living in this humiliation. We ran away from humiliation. We thought Europe would open its arms for us and treat us with dignity, instead it’s been humiliation,” said a Syrian migrant named Taha.

Greece has blasted Macedonia over the violence.

"They attacked people that did not have guns, who were not a serious threat. I want to say that this is a big disgrace for European and for countries that want to be a part of European it,” said Alexis Tsipras, Greek Prime Minister.

Macedonia insists migrant mobs attacked first. A spokesman for Macedonia asserted that migrant mobs had breached the barrier first, so its forces tried to break up the protest with tear gas, not bullets. He also said no migrant had crossed on the Macedonian side.

Thousands of migrants still stranded at Idomeni

Elsewhere at Idomeni, more than 10,000 are still stranded, waiting to enter Europe. Most of them are staying at makeshift, overcrowded encampments.

"We slept in the rain, in the open air. We asked for blankets, no one gave us blankets. We asked for tents to shelter the children, they did not give us tents,” Taha said.