Greece Braces For Annual Anti-junta Demos
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published November 17, 2021 | 12:47 PM
Thousands of police were deploying in Athens and other major Greek cities on Wednesday, ahead of annual demonstrations marking the 1973 student revolt against a US-backed junta
Athens, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Nov, 2021 ) :Thousands of police were deploying in Athens and other major Greek cities on Wednesday, ahead of annual demonstrations marking the 1973 student revolt against a US-backed junta.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to participate in the demonstrations after authorities allowed them to go ahead, with over half the country fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Last year, the government tried to ban the anti-junta protests as the anniversary fell in the middle of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, before vaccines became available.
But hundreds defied the ban, and police used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon to disperse the demonstration in Athens.
Police on Wednesday were deploying riot officers, drones, helicopters and water cannon in the capital, as violence regularly breaks out during the annual protest.
There has been additional tension in past months as a result of a new law that bans demonstrators from streets partially open to traffic.
Many protesters have ignored the restriction, and riot police have regularly used tear gas and water cannon to push them back.
The annual protests mark the day in 1973 when at least 24 people were killed at the Athens Polytechnic, when the junta sent troops and police against a pro-democracy student uprising.
The brutal crackdown shocked Europe, and is generally considered to have broken the dictatorship's grip on power, leading to the restoration of democracy months later.
The bloodstained Greek flag that flew that night over the Polytechnic's iron gate, which was crushed by a tank, is carried at the head of the demonstration in the capital each year.
Most years, tens of thousands of mainly left-wing demonstrators march through Athens to the American embassy, to protest Washington's support for the Greek military dictatorship during the Cold War.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
SC orders end of encroachments in Karachi
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
More Stories From World
-
Togo opposition asks W.Africa court to overturn reforms
6 minutes ago -
Paris landmark Moulin Rouge's windmill sails collapse
26 minutes ago -
Ahead of feared Rafah invasion, Palestinians mourn bombardment dead
26 minutes ago -
155 killed in Tanzania as heavy rains cause floods, landslides: PM
26 minutes ago -
Car giants vie for EV crown at Beijing's Auto China show
26 minutes ago -
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
36 minutes ago
-
China-Bangladesh to hold joint military exercise in May
46 minutes ago -
Residents protest as Venice launches five-euro entry fee
56 minutes ago -
Portugal marks 50 years of democracy with far right on rise
1 hour ago -
Pakistan envoy visits TomatoWorld in Netherlands
1 hour ago -
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
1 hour ago -
China, Pakistan should engage in greater counter-terrorism cooperation to combat hostile forces: Khu ..
1 hour ago