The Two November 17ths in Greece

No, there isn't a massive problem with the printing of Greek calendars. But there are two November 17ths in Greece.

November 17th the holiday commemorates the 31st 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.

In the past, there have been many protests and commemorations planned for this day. This year it will be much more low-key. Lately, debate on the wisdom of observing the day at all has increased, in part because the terrorist group called November 17th has considerably damaged the positive perception of the term. With many members of that group having been captured and brought to trial in the last two years, some would like to forget the commemoration of the same name entirely.

On Wednesday afternoon, a probable protest march to the U.S. embassy in Athens may still draw a crowd. Why a protest march to the U.S. embassy? Back in the 1970s, the U.S. backed the regime of the oppressive "Colonels", something that has never been forgotten and is always keenly remembered at this time of year.

If you have business to conduct at the U.S. embassy, or near it, it may be wise to delay it until later in the week.