Thousands join annual Athens student uprising march to US embassy
Nov 17, 2007, 16:06 GMT
Athens - Thousands of demonstrators braved heavy rain in Athens Saturday
to
join an annual march to the US Embassy to mark the anniversary of a bloody
student uprising more than 30 years ago.
Some 10,000 people took to the streets for the march from the Polytechnic
University - site of the 1973 uprising against the then- ruling military
dictatorship - towards the American Embassy. There was a similar march in
the northern port city of Thessaloniki.
Nearly 8,000 riot police initially took up positions outside the embassy,
government buildings and the university in preparation for the march which
has sparked riots in recent years. The security was later scaled back
owing
to the heavy rain.
Dozens of people died when the military junta sent tanks into the
university
to put down the revolt 35 years ago, which many believe was backed by the
US.
In recent years, the demonstrations have often escalated into riots
between
hooded anarchists, armed with stones and petrol bombs, and riot police.
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