In the morning of
November 17th 1973, a 3 day student protest/occupation in Athens's Polytechnic School ended in a bloodshed as a tank went over the institution's gate instantly killing and/or seriously injuring the people standing at the gate and surrounding areas. 24 people were killed that day, among them a high-school student. (Another person was shot in cold blood.) This was the bloodiest revolt against the military junta of 1967-1973, one of the darkest periods in Greece's modern history.
It was the 21st of April 1967 when a small group of low-ranked military people (basically captains and colonels) took over power in order to protect the country from the alarming "communist danger". The parliament and political parties were dissolved, fundamental civil rights (for example "no more than 3 people were allowed to gather in a place (!!), unless they were members of the same family") were revoked and hundreds of people were exiled, jailed and tortured by the fearsome military police (ESA) because of their political beliefs. The whole country was under a cruel and oppressing regime that ruled under the lines of their moto "Country (like the one they betrayed by breaking their oath to the state), Religion (I never understood how the Gospel of Christ can be turned to an instrument of hatred), Family (like the ones they dissolved when children turned against their parents).
On November 14th, students of the Athens's Polytechnic school went on strike and occupied the building demanding the fall of the junta and the reestablishment of a democratic rule. To the junta's moto they opposed their own (inspired by the French Revolution) "Bread, Education, Freedom" and through a self-built radio transmitter they called the Athenian and the Greek people to stand against the dictators. As hundreds of people started gathering around the school, the regime realized that things were getting out of hand. When they saw the police could not deal with the protesters and a general uprising was at hand, the military took over. Greek soldiers turned against Greek citizens and the revolt was"resolved" in the morning of November 17th in the most violent manner.
This revolt, although it did not bring the junta down, it speeded its decline. The regime hardened its grip and it fell in July 1974 under the burden of their crime against the people of the island of Cyprus, which ended to a divided island ever since.
32 years later, this revolt is still remembered but there is a high degree of political exploitation, especially from far-left political groups and parties. For me, it stands as a reminder that freedom and democracy always comes with a price and some times that price is really high.
To the young people who gave their lives for the ideals of freedom and democracy I dedicate a poem of one of my favorite poets Konstantinos Kavafis originally written for another struggle with an unfortunate (already foreseen) outcome:
Thermopylae (1903)
Honor to those who in their lives
have defined and guard their Thermopylae
Never stirring from duty;
just and upright in all their deeds,
yet with pity and compassion too;
generous when they are rich, and when
they are poor, again a little generous,
again helping as much as they can;
always speaking the truth,
yet without hatred for those who lie.
And more honor is due to them
when they foresee (and many do foresee)
that Ephialtes will finally appear,
and that the Medes in the end will go through.
As for those who still exploit the loss of these people for their own political gain and even worse, they are sympathetic to that regime and...nostalgic to their rule, I have nothing to say really...
As the lyrics of the song go (Greek only, sorry!):
...κρατάω το στόμα μου κλειστό
τα χείλη μου ματώσανε
κι αυτοί που μας προδώσανε
ανέραστοι να μείνουν.
Κουφάλες! Δεν ξοφλήσαμε,
αυτό έχω μόνο να τους πω,
τα όνειρα των εραστών δε σβήνουν...
