On November 17, the International Delegation of the World Anti-Imperialist Platform laid a wreath at the Polytechnic University of Athens to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic Protest.
The Polytechnic Protest was a popular uprising centered by university students against the military dictatorship that came to power in a U.S.-backed coup in 1967. In March 1973, students occupied the Athens Law School with an allied leave of absence, and in November, about 100,000 people gathered to chant “End Military Dictatorship and Fascism,” “Expel the U.S.”, and “Oppose NATO”. On November 17, the junta mobilized armed soldiers and tanks to break down the gates of the polytechnic and started firing on the protesters. The 1973 Polytechnic protest decisively hastened the end of the military dictatorship.
A wreath was laid in front of the monument on campus by Joti Brar, Vice President of CPGB-ML, UK, a spokesperson for FlatForm.
The international delegation then carried out a propaganda campaign within the Polytechnic campus with the banner “One enemy: imperialism! Defeat the murderous US-led imperialist axis!”. They held the historic poster honoring the Polytechnic protest and a photo of Greek revolutionary Zachariadis together.
Finally, they marched through the campus chanting “Free Palestine”. Many students and citizens gathered for the wreath-laying ceremony applauded to the Platform International Delegation.
After the wreath-laying, the delegation joined the march for 50th anniversary of the Polytechnic protest in the afternoon and marched to the US Embassy.
