Thessaloniki commemorates the 51st anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising. Holding wreaths with red carnations, representatives of agencies, members of labor unions and ordinary citizens, arrive early in the morning at the monument at the Polytechnic School of AUTH, to pay their respects.
As reported by thesstoday, people of all ages, families with children and even elderly people who lived through the anti-dictatorship struggle, come bowing in front of the monument and with raised left fist, honoring the heroes of the historic uprising.
Already in the previous days, members of student groups have been at the entrance of the Polytechnic School informing and inviting citizens to participate in the anniversary events, while their climax is the long afternoon march in the center of the city.
Several of those attending the Polytechnic held Palestinian flags or wore the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh headscarf, which has become a symbol of resistance, while anti-war slogans were heard in favor of freedom and peace in Palestine and Lebanon.
The wreath-laying ceremony began with the Association of Imprisoned and Exiled Resistance Fighters 1967-1974 (SFEA), then the city’s labor unions, collectives and political factions took over and ended with the KKE representatives who laid a wreath and shouted slogans.
Dimitris Emmanouilidis, member of the KKE central committee said: “The slogans that were written outside the gates of the Polytechnic on the day of the great uprising, remain relevant, especially today, when our country is participating in two imperialist wars. The people can come to the fore, the people can overturn the difficult situation they live in.”
PASOK was represented by the General Secretary of Thessaloniki, Evryviadis Eleftheriadis, who characteristically said: “51 years since the anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising, unfortunately we have not been able to solve the basic issues. Those of the economy, education, freedom and democracy”.
Giorgos Papakonstantinou spoke on behalf of the national fighting movement: “Today, November 17, we honor the struggles, the sacrifices and the dreams of the people, the youth and the whole society that fought 51 years ago to overthrow the junta”.
Thanasis Koutsouras, secretary of the Thessaloniki Builders Union and member of the Management of the Thessaloniki Labor Center said: “Today we are here at the gates of the Polytechnic, where people sacrificed their lives to claim democracy, freedom, national independence and popular sovereignty. 51 years later we pay tribute to all those who fought against the junta. The slogans that were heard then at the Polytechnic are as relevant as ever”.
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Source: www.enikos.gr
