Athens celebrates the Anniversary of the “Polytechneion” uprising against the military regime, in 1973. The doors of the Polytechnic University of Athens, the venue where the revolt took place, are open to the public and celebrations culminate today, Monday November 17th, with the annual rally towards the American embassy of Athens. Authorities have deployed 7,000 policemen and are enforcing emergency traffic regulations in the city centre. The streets around the Polytechnic University will be closed until Kaningos Square, while the area circling the avenues of Alexandras, Patision, Stadiou, Vassilisis Sofias will be closed.

 “The Polytechneion uprising is one of those events in Greek history which gain an even bigger importance with the passage of time”, said in his message on the Anniversary, the President of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, “because we increasingly need examples which show that social liberation is earned with struggles, that there’s nothing more powerful than the passion for freedom, that state violence and autocracy need passivity to be enforced”, added the President. The country has reasons to remember that history is written by people who take responsibility for everyone, even when no one asks them to, he said.