site.btaMarch in Athens Marks 52 Years Since 1973 Student Uprising

A march to the United States Embassy in Athens was the culmination of events marking the 52nd anniversary of the 1973 student uprising (Athens Polytechnic Uprising), which was violently suppressed by the military junta, Greek public broadcaster ERT said Monday. The procession moved along the capital’s main boulevards under heightened security.

Representatives of student organizations and youth wings of political parties, carrying flags and banners, converged from different parts of the city to join the demonstration in central Athens. Security measures were reinforced around several areas, including public buildings, institutions and the embassies of the United States and Israel.

On orders of the Greek police, the metro stations Syntagma, Evangelismos, Megaro Mousikis, Panepistimio and Omonia were closed as of 2 p.m. on Monday, with trains passing through without stopping.

Earlier on Monday, institutional representatives, politicians, public figures and citizens laid flowers in the courtyard of the Polytechnic. Greece’s President Konstantinos Tasoulas also paid tribute to the victims of the uprising, ERT said.

The annual commemoration of the 1973 student revolt includes marches and protests that have at times been accompanied by unrest.