Dresden, Germany

An angry crowd greeted  Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel today with whistles and shouts of 'Get out' as she arrived in Dresden to attend official celebrations for 26 years of German reunification celebrations, international news agency AFP reported. 

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While she called for mutual respect in political discussion during her address, protesters waved signs saying: "Merkel must go".

"For my personally and for most of the German people, this still is day of joy and gratitude. But it is also a day on which 26 years after the German unification we still see that there are new problems, new work to be done," she was quoted as saying by Reuters. 

"And personally, I hope that we solve those problems together, with mutual respect and acceptance of different political views. And that we find good solutions. And I hope that the people continue to talk, especially in regard to those who do not make an effort. However, I will campaign for that with all my strength. And I know that many others do so as well, and I want to thank them for that on that special day of ours."

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Merkel has been facing pressure at home over her 'open door' refugee policy. Germany saw an influx of more than one million migrants following the implementation of policy, observes AFP. 

Dresden is hosting national celebrations to mark 26 years since the reunification of East and West Germany. 

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President Joachim Gauck, who accompanied Merkel also received a hostile welcome. 

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As many as 106 far-right hate crimes have been recorded in Dresden's state capital, Saxony, in 2015, according to AFP. Meanwhile, in the first half of the year, as many as 50 hate crimes were recorded.

An annual government report also highlighted last week that growing xenophobia and right-wing extremism could threaten peace in eastern Germany. 

(WION with inputs from AFP)