OPINION

Stop exploiting history

The 1973 student uprising at the Athens Polytechnic was a courageous and spontaneous act on the behalf of the youth that took part in those landmark events. However, ever since democracy was restored in the country, some of the protagonists in the uprising – joined by some bad imitators – have sought to capitalize on the historic events for their own self-interest. Even worse, political parties have tried to appropriate a chunk of historic memory. However, the Polytechnic uprising was not orchestrated by parties and is not the property of any single party. It is the property of the Greek people and the kind of squabbling that we have witnessed of late only mars this important anniversary. This should be clear to those who are currently involved in a pointless tug of war prompted by the controversy over the so-called flag of the Polytechnic. Given that we are living in cynical times, we should all try to remember the romanticism and innocence of the days of November 1973. The exploitation of history has its limits.

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