KKE: ‘Government crackdown is terrorising the people’

The five had been mobilising for a march to mark the 1973 Athens Polytechnic uprising, which led to the downfall of the country's brutal fascist dictatorship.

The Greek Communist Party (KKE) warned that the labour movement would not be silenced and accused the government of using the Covid-19 pandemic to clamp down on dissent.

In a statement, the party insisted that the celebrations would go ahead in defiance of a government-imposed four-day ban on public gatherings.

The ban had nothing to do with attempts to stop the spread of coronavirus, but was part of broader plans to crush opposition ahead of next week’s general strike, the communists said.

“The Polytechnic represents the continuation of the struggle that took place then against the US, Nato and the dictatorship … as well as today for trade-union freedoms, for political freedoms, for issues that are extremely topical today,” a KKE statement said.

“This is the reason why the government does not want to celebrate it this year.”

The party demanded the release of those held and joined trade-union confederation the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) in calling for solidarity actions at Greek embassies abroad.