"Some 40 years later, the message from the polytechnic is still alive,"said protester Dimitris Papoulias.(Photo: Yorgos Karahalis/Reuters)
Nov 18, 2014
Over 40,000 people marched to the American embassy in Athens, Greece on Monday to mark the 1973 student-led revolt against the country's former military dictatorship and to protest the U.S. role in backing the junta.
The largest such anniversary commemoration in recent years, the procession was met with nearly 7,000 police, including many in riot gear, who reportedly fired teargas at the crowd.
Dozens of students at Athens Polytechnic University were killed on November 17, 1973, when the army brutally suppressed a protest against the dictatorship, which lasted from 1967 to 1974. The revolt played a role in weakening the regime, which was backed by the U.S. government as a Cold War geopolitical maneuver.
The annual demonstrations, which commence with the laying of wreathes at the Polytechnic campus, have expanded to include protests against austerity and poverty gripping the country. On Monday, protesters chanted "EU, IMF out!" and waved red flags, Reutersreports.
"Some 40 years later, the message from the polytechnic is still alive, because then there was a junta, and today we are imprisoned by the euro, the European Union, the IMF and all these unpopular measures that have degraded the middle class and the youth," said protester Dimitris Papoulias, according toDemocracy Now. "They have made us poor."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
Over 40,000 people marched to the American embassy in Athens, Greece on Monday to mark the 1973 student-led revolt against the country's former military dictatorship and to protest the U.S. role in backing the junta.
The largest such anniversary commemoration in recent years, the procession was met with nearly 7,000 police, including many in riot gear, who reportedly fired teargas at the crowd.
Dozens of students at Athens Polytechnic University were killed on November 17, 1973, when the army brutally suppressed a protest against the dictatorship, which lasted from 1967 to 1974. The revolt played a role in weakening the regime, which was backed by the U.S. government as a Cold War geopolitical maneuver.
The annual demonstrations, which commence with the laying of wreathes at the Polytechnic campus, have expanded to include protests against austerity and poverty gripping the country. On Monday, protesters chanted "EU, IMF out!" and waved red flags, Reutersreports.
"Some 40 years later, the message from the polytechnic is still alive, because then there was a junta, and today we are imprisoned by the euro, the European Union, the IMF and all these unpopular measures that have degraded the middle class and the youth," said protester Dimitris Papoulias, according toDemocracy Now. "They have made us poor."
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
Over 40,000 people marched to the American embassy in Athens, Greece on Monday to mark the 1973 student-led revolt against the country's former military dictatorship and to protest the U.S. role in backing the junta.
The largest such anniversary commemoration in recent years, the procession was met with nearly 7,000 police, including many in riot gear, who reportedly fired teargas at the crowd.
Dozens of students at Athens Polytechnic University were killed on November 17, 1973, when the army brutally suppressed a protest against the dictatorship, which lasted from 1967 to 1974. The revolt played a role in weakening the regime, which was backed by the U.S. government as a Cold War geopolitical maneuver.
The annual demonstrations, which commence with the laying of wreathes at the Polytechnic campus, have expanded to include protests against austerity and poverty gripping the country. On Monday, protesters chanted "EU, IMF out!" and waved red flags, Reutersreports.
"Some 40 years later, the message from the polytechnic is still alive, because then there was a junta, and today we are imprisoned by the euro, the European Union, the IMF and all these unpopular measures that have degraded the middle class and the youth," said protester Dimitris Papoulias, according toDemocracy Now. "They have made us poor."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.