Greece's Prime Minister appealed to political parties on Monday to show "self-restraint" in commemorations marking the 1973 crushing of a student uprising by the ruling military junta at the time, as part of measures to curtail a surging coronavirus outbreak in the country.
November 17, the day the uprising was quashed, is marked each year with wreath-laying ceremonies at the Athens Polytechnic commemorating those who died there, followed by marches to the US Embassy. The marches sometimes turn violent, with protesters clashing with riot police.
![Greece is under lockdown until the end of November. Photo / AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/HFZFGUGEGLJZVKAMV3BKQDKFHM.jpg?auth=b7e076d783edb8529de3e083ed5ab4050e4f4d6411bbbe78f2c1b810b636a903&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
This year, the Government has banned the marches due to a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths which are straining the country's health system. The police chief over the weekend announced a nationwide ban on gatherings of more than three people from November 15-18.
Left-wing opposition parties voiced outrage and said the ban was unconstitutional, but a late challenge at the country's highest administrative court, the Council of State, was unsuccessful.