Protesters march to US Embassy on uprising anniversary

Thousands of protesters were marching Friday to the US Embassy in Athens to mark the anniversary of the 1973 crackdown on a student uprising against the military dictatorship then ruling Greece.

More than 5,000 officers were on duty for the demonstration, which commemorates those who died in the crackdown on the uprising against the 1967-74 junta.

The annual march is often used as a means of expressing displeasure with various government, European and American policies, and often turns violent.

The demonstration begins at the gates of the polytechnic, where the junta had sent a tank to crush the entrance gate as it cracked down on rebellious students holed up inside. It is traditionally headed by protesters carrying a blood-stained Greek flag found at the polytechnic that night.

Before this year’s anniversary, some anarchist groups occupied the polytechnic building and distributed fliers urging nearby residents to attack police by dropping flower pots from their balconies.

Across town, a group of anarchist activists rushed into the heavily guarded perimeter of the Greek Defense Ministry and scattered anti-war fliers, linking their protest to the November 17 anniversary.

No arrests were reported, and the group posted a brief video of the incident online. [AP]