Greece’s far-left opposition politician Yanis Varoufakis needed hospitalization after being attacked by a group of about 20 people outside a restaurant, several Greek media outlets reported on Saturday, DPA and Agerpres reported.

At first, Varoufakis (61 years old) was insulted from the street. As he walked out the door, he was attacked by several hooded men who knocked him to the ground, kicked and punched him in the face, breaking his nose. After the attack, Varoufakis was hospitalized.

He expressed gratitude on Twitter for the solidarity he received after the attack, denying reports that the attackers were members of far-left groups.

“They were not anarchists, leftists, communists or members of any movement,” he wrote on Twitter in English.

“Paid thugs and this is what they looked like, clumsily referring to the lie that I sold out to the trio [Comisia Europeană, Fondul Monetar Internaţional (FMI) şi Banca Centrală Europeană (BCE)]. We will not let them divide us. Go ahead!” he said.

His Mera25 party called the attack “fascist”.

An economics professor who was not widely known in the world at the time, Varoufakis came into the spotlight during the 2015 debt crisis when he was finance minister. Now he is a deputy.