Athens Polytechnic uprising

Alexander Kitroeff, a professor of history with an expertise on the Greek diaspora experience, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the Athens Polytechnic uprising of November 17th, 1973, against the military dictatorship, and look at the diaspora's key role in the broader story of restoring democracy to Greece.

Τhis year Greece celebrates half a century of a well-functioning democracy following the collapse of the junta in July 1974.

The invasion of Cyprus and the tragic division of the island were the last and most painful chapter of that dark period in the nation's modern history.

Sunday marked 51 years since the Athens Polytechnic uprising, but also half a century from the milestone of peaceful democratic existence: the first national elections after the fall of the 1967-74 junta. Both anniversaries are good opportunities to ponder the collective accomplishments of the longest period of peace, freedom and - despite the troughs - economic growth in this country.

The poetry collection "Bygone Fairytales" by esteemed Greek physician-researcher Dr Georgios Pavlakis was introduced on Thursday, December 14, at the Hellenic Center in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

Stefanos Kasselakis, the leader of Greece's main leftist opposition, on Friday laid a wreath at the memorial on the grounds of the former Military Police Special Interrogation Unit (EAT/ESA) to commemorate the 1973 Athens Polytechnic uprising. He was joined by a delegation from his SYRIZA party.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis marked the 50th anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising on Friday, describing the events as "a beacon illuminating the path towards a more open and democratic society."

1973-2023. Half a century after the Athens Polytechnic Uprising, the political culture that this pivotal event created remains a matter of intense controversy, both politically and in the public discourse and understanding of history. How do we move from myth to a political valuation? How can this past become history?

An army tank prepares to drive through the gates of the student-occupied Polytechnic, in Athens, on November 17, 1973. It has been 50 years since the student uprising against the 1967-74 military junta, which culminated with a tank crashing through the gates of the Athens Polytechnic.

A man stands next to the remains of a metal gate crumpled by a military tank in a 1973 pro-democracy student uprising, in the courtyard of the National Technical University of Athens, known as the Athens Polytechnic, on Saturday.

The Athens Polytechnic Uprising is typically commemorated with scuffles. The day commemorates Greek students’ resistance against the military dictatorship. It marks the day that Greek tanks broke down the main gate of the Athens Polytechnic, killing students and marking the start of the end of the seven-year dictatorship that had begun on April 21, 1967.