Thousands demonstrated in Athens on the afternoon of Tuesday, 6 October, sending a clear message against the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Greece’s involvement in the wars of the US, NATO and the EU.
With a mass rally in Syntagma Square, a march and a surprise protest opposite the US embassy, demonstrators demanded: “Out with the bases of death! No involvement in the wars of the US, NATO and the EU!”
Behind the banners of their unions and organisations, workers, the self-employed, women, university students and school pupils delivered a defiant response to the government’s celebrations of the so-called “strategic relationship” with the US and Greece’s “enhanced geopolitical status”. They condemned arms programmes, military spending and agreements that serve imperialist plans and draw the country deeper into wars.
Large police contingents repeatedly attempted to block the demonstration, including by using tear gas. The march continued, with demonstrators chanting: “Intimidation will not prevail – the people’s struggle will defeat it!” Meanwhile, the surprise protest by workers opposite the US embassy conveyed the message that the US Secretary of State was unwelcome, effectively thwarting the attempt to impose silence around his visit.
In the face of repression, the protests demonstrated the strength of the organised popular movement against repression and bans. Greece’s working class sent a clear message against involvement in war and the country’s transformation into a launchpad for military operations.
The baton now passes to the dockworkers’ strike on 30 October, at more than 60 ports worldwide, and to the escalation of strike action in the period ahead.
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Banners outside the U.S. Embassy
Riot police use tear gas against demonstrators