Students who opposed junta ‘continue to inspire us,’ says president

The young men and women of Athens Polytechnic who stood up against the colonels’ dictatorship on November 17, 1973 “continue to inspire us” today, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said on Wednesday.

“We honor the victims, the students and all the fighters who stood up against violence and anomy. Their sacrifices, just like their love for freedom and democracy, continue to inspire us,” Sakellaroupoulou said while laying a wreath at a memorial to the victims of the uprising on its 48th anniversary.

The Greek president also stressed the importance of supporting young people and their “expectations for a better future.”

“The young men and women of today, who after the economic crisis are also having to deal with the pandemic, are required to make their way in a world full of challenges and uncertainties,” she said.

“It is our duty to stand by them and to support their expectations for a better future, in the context of an open society that includes as all,” the former Council of State judge and president added.