Athens Mayor calls for peaceful demonstration this Sunday

Amid concerns over possible violence during Sunday’s march to mark the anniversary of the bloody 1973 student uprising against the then-military junta, Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis has urged citizens to show “respect” toward the Greek capital.

“On this anniversary, let’s send out the right message. A shared message about memory. We should not obscure the essence which is the struggle of youth for democracy. On this anniversary, let’s show respect toward the city,” Bakoyannis said in a message posted on Facebook.

Police will be out in force over the next three days as events get under way to mark the 46th anniversary. Tensions have been simmering since Monday, when police clashed with students at the Athens University of Economics and Business following the discovery last weekend of an anarchist cache there.