‘Struggle for democracy is constant,’ president says at Athens Polytechnic memorial

The 1973 Athens Polytechnic student uprising marked the “beginning of the end” of the seven-year military dictatorship that ruled Greece with an iron fist from 1967 to 1974 and was a “foundation stone” in the Metapolitefsi, the process of restoring democracy, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said on the anniversary of the revolt on Thursday.

Laying a wreath at a memorial to the victims of the regime’s violent crackdown on the uprising at the historic downtown Athens campus, Sakellaropoulou said the anniversary serves as a “reminder that the struggle for democracy is constant and taxing.”

“By honoring the memory of the victims – the Polytechnic students and activists – we acknowledge our debt to safeguard the quality of our institutions and our society’s openness,” added Sakellaropoulou, a former judge and president of the Council of State.