Greeks hold peaceful march on deadly uprising anniversary

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — About 20,000 people have marched peacefully through Athens to mark the anniversary of a bloody anti-dictatorship uprising in 1973. More than 5,000 police were deployed to keep order, as violence involving anarchist demonstrators often mars the annual march to the U.S. Embassy. The event went ahead Wednesday despite restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Minor clashes broke out afterwards in another part of town. A similar march was held in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, also followed by minor clashes. In 1973, student-led pro-democracy protests at the Athens Polytechnic were crushed by police and troops sent by the military regime. At least 20 demonstrators and bystanders are thought to have been killed, though the precise death toll remains unknown.