The celebration of the 17th November
Crowds flocked to the banner-draped main offices of the Polytechnic (now known as the National Technical University of Athens) on Patission Street yesterday, to pay their respects to the victims of the November 17, 1973 student revolt that helped topple the 1967-74 military dictatorship. Three days of celebrations culminate today with a march at 3.30 p.m. from the university campus to the American Embassy. Some 5,000 policemen will be on duty, on the lookout for rioting. All major political parties issued statements on the anniversary yesterday. Ruling PASOK berated opposition New Democracy for organizing a celebration of the rebellion, claiming the conservatives had paid little honor to the uprising in the past. We have broadly reached a solution on the arrest warrant, German Secretary of State for Justice Hansjoerg Geiger told reporters. This is aimed at replacing lengthy current procedures. EU states will have to hand over a detained suspect within 60 days of receiving the arrest warrant from a fellow member state, or within 10 days if the suspect agrees to be transferred. Geiger said there would be an exceptional extension to 90 days where suspects appealed to constitutional courts or to the European Court of Human Rights.
