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Anastasia Balezdrova

Despite the expectations of heavy clashes between demonstrators and police, the 38th commemoration of the events at Athens Polytechnic University was relatively calm.

The participants in this year's procession gathered at four different locations. The procession set off from Klathmonos Square on Stadiou Street at 4.30 pm and headed to the heavily guarded building of the Greek Parliament. Hundreds of members of the riot forces had surrounded it, but the metal fence preventing protesters from accessing the Parliament building was missing.

Several thousand Athenians, according to organizers 30,000, filled the central streets of Athens and shouted slogans heard each year on the same day. Some of them had at least been updated during the protests of the Discontented and the strikes that followed. Protesters were chanting, "Bread, education, freedom, the junta did not end in '73," mixed with slogans criticizing the new government. Not only were the Memorandum and the severe economic measures criticized this time but also the involvement of the far right party LAOS in the new interim government.

In the procession, were two massive groups of anarchists, who resembled trade union or party groups because of the way they were guarding the participants. When they reached the Parliament, the anarchists remained there and did not go to the U.S. Embassy. Shortly after 5.00 pm, some protesters threw Molotov and light bombs against the police who responded with tear gas, but minutes later the clashes stopped.

An hour later, the anarchists arrived at the U.S. Embassy surrounded by police officers. "On every corner there are police officers, the junta did not end in '73," they cried and criticized them for protecting the "Americans". When the anarchists saw the group of journalists, cameramen and photographers, they called them "informers" and turned menacingly toward them.

A little later, with stones and wooden sticks in their hands, they attacked the security forces and within minutes, the avenue in front of the U.S. Embassy looked like a battlefield. The clashes moved to Mavili Square, which is located nearby. The anarchists were throwing stones and pieces of marble against the police officers who repelled them with light bombs.

Some of the hooded youths set fire to waste bins in the streets around the square and Vassilias Sofias Avenue. Others tried to break bank buildings with iron bars. Gradually, the tension moved to Alexandras Avenue in front of the local police department of Attica. There, the anarchists set fire to waste bins, but the police did not take long to control the situation. During the clashes, 78 people were captured. Eleven of them were arrested and four police officers were injured. Shortly after 7.00 pm, the police had finished "cleansing" the area of ​​Syntagma Square and the first municipal officials came to clean it. There were no incidents during the procession of the Communist Party, which takes place each year separately.

Security measures on the occasion of the commemoration have been reinforced for several days. From early morning today, thousands of police officers had filled the centre of Athens. The area around the Polytechnic University and central avenues was cut off and the movement of vehicles was prohibited. By police order, subway stations in the region from the U.S. Embassy to Syntagma Square were still closed at noon. Dozens of police officers guarded the exit at Monastiraki Square too. According to police authorities, the number of participants in the procession to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the events in November 1973 has not exceeded 15,000.