Kalamata marks independence ahead of March 25

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou (left) applauds as schoolchildren dressed in traditional costumes parade in front of state and local officials in Kalamata, on Wednesday. The capital of Messinia in the southern Peloponnese was celebrating its liberation from Ottoman rule on March 23, 1821, two days ahead of Greek Independence Day on Friday. “The wind of freedom started here, swept across Greece and razed Ottoman tyranny,” Sakellaropoulou said in her speech. March 25 is a national holiday that will be marked by student parades across the country and a military parade in front of Parliament in downtown Athens.