Greece marked its national holiday with a military parade and folk ring dances

25 March 2015 / 16:03:46 GRReporter

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Photos: the author

Anastasia Balezdrova

The first celebration organised by the new Greek cabinet took place under heavy rain but with a high patriotic feeling, just to the taste of SYRIZA’s coalition partner Independent Greeks. Independence Day was marked with the traditional military parade in Syntagma Square and ended with a popular celebration.

Hundreds of residents of Athens, many of whom had brought along their children, were standing holding umbrellas on the sidewalk opposite the parliament to see the first open parade, without iron fences, as the new government had advertised it for a few weeks now.

The majority of them travelled by underground to arrive in the centre of Athens and the soldiers who were waiting for them at the exit of the underground station gave them small plastic flags.

Iron fences might not be there but the central staircases, leading from the square to the sidewalk in front of the parliament, were surrounded by tape and police were sending away citizens to the surrounding streets. Only the media representatives and members of the dance groups, who were dressed in the traditional costumes of different regions and were there to take part in the popular celebration after the parade, could use the stairs.

There were changes in the places occupied by the official guests too. The rostrum occupied by President of Greece Prokopis Pavlopoulos and the other two rostrums were placed on both sides, but not with their backs to the monument of the Unknown Soldier. This was the explicit requirement of Minister of Defence and Alexis Tsipras’ coalition partner Panos Kammenos, who was in charge of the preparation of the celebrations, together with Attica Governor Rena Dourou.

The parade presented military equipment, including tanks and air defence systems, followed by the infantry of the Greek army. While they were passing in front of the rostrums, saluting the President, military helicopters, military aircraft F 16 and firefighting helicopters were flying in the skies over Athens.

Despite the three days of mourning announced in Europe on occasion of the tragic air accident in France, the Greek flag was not lowered to half mast during the parade. The tragedy was also completely absent from the statements of President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the other officials of the Greek state.

After the official statements, the official guests got into their cars and left. While it was raining harder and harder, a message from the loud speakers informed that the dance groups would dance only two ring dances to the music performed by the military orchestra.

A few of the groups that were surrounded by enthusiastic spectators failed to dance. Several minutes later the celebration ended, the dancers unfurled their umbrellas and walked back to the underground stations.