November 17th - A Day, A Group, A Challenge

This year's commemoration of November 17th is shaping up to be a difficult one for Greece. November 17th the holiday commemorates the 30th anniversary of the deaths of students shot by authorities during a protest in 1973; outrage over the incident led to the end of the "Colonels" who ran the military junta in charge of Greece at that time.

However, this year, the current trials of 19 members of November 17th the group, originally formed to destabilize the military junta, may mean that supporters are looking for a more drastic way to mark the date. Kathimerini reports that a number of major banks have been targets of firebombs. There are many protests and commemorations planned over the next three days, which will affect traffic in Athens. On Monday afternoon, a protest march to the U.S. embassy in Athens is expected to draw a large crowd. Why a protest march to the U.S. embassy? Back in the 1970s, the U.S. backed the regime of the "Colonels", something that has never been forgotten and is always keenly remembered at this time of year.

If you're traveling in Athens over the next few days, traffic is likely to be more interesting than usual with detours and delays as different roads are blocked off to accommodate parades and protests. If you have business to conduct at the U.S. embassy, or near it, it may be wise to delay it until mid-week.