A three-day celebration on the anniversary of the 1973 Polytechnic uprising kicked off in Greece on Tuesday an annual event that commemorates the students who rose against the military junta.
On Tuesday, the Athens Polytechnic, or the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) as is known today, opened its doors for a three-day celebration to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the uprising.
On Tuesday, November 15, and on Wednesday, November 16, the gates will remain open from 8:30 until 21:00. On Thursday, November 17, the day of the anniversary, the gates will open at 8:30 and close at 13:00.
The NTUA Senate invited the university community, young people and all citizens to participate in the anniversary events.
“In November 1973, the National Technical University of Athens was at the center of expression of young people’s anguish and their struggle for education, democracy and freedom.
“Today it must remain a space for the free movement of ideas, respect for different views, resistance to any lack of democracy and the imposition of opinions and behaviors.
“This is the timeless message of the Polytechnic rebellion, this must be highlighted in the way it is celebrated, and this is today the collective and individual responsibility of the members of the Polytechnic community”, the Senate’s announcement stated.
As the NTUA noted, the vindication of the students’ struggle 49 years ago is reflected in the progress of the Greek university and the well-being of the country.
Police in Greece on alert for the anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising
Greek police announced on Monday that it will impose heavy security measures, with the deployment of more than 5,500 police officers in Athens to prevent clashes that frequently broke out between police and leftist demonstrators during the celebration.
The measures will be of a similar level as those adopted in 2019, before the pandemic, a meeting at the Attica police headquarters decided.
According to Athens-Macedonian News Agency police sources, police officers from outside the Attica region will be brought in as reinforcements with while a ‘safety net’ will be spread over the city of Athens from November 16, the day before the anniversary.
Special attention will be given to the protection of universities, embassies and government buildings while undercover police officers will be stationed at critical locations in central Athens and police checks will be carried out as a precaution.
Drones and helicopters will provide a real-time picture to the Hellenic Police operations center and special armored water cannons will be stationed in downtown Athens and the wider area, ready to intervene if it is deemed necessary.
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