Passions of the past continue to reverberate in the present day.
In the spirit of keeping history alive, the Greek Australian Committee for the Commemoration of the 1973 Polytechnic uprising (EGEP) is focused on drawing attention to the transcendental values of the young revolutionaries of the Athens revolt while giving a Greek Australian touch to the anniversary of Polytechnic events that took place from 14-17 November.
Slogans, such as “Bread, Education, Freedom!” once heard echoing through the streets of Athens are just as relevant today and meaningful around the world, including Australia, where the First Peoples of Australia are struggling to have their rights recognised.
READ MORE: Former Greek PM Tsipras takes part in Polytechnic uprising march
Dr George Vasilakopoulos spoke about the meaning of the students revolt for the Greek Community in Australia and invited community groups to create a forum for discussion to commemorate the 200 years of the Modern Greek state (1821-2021) to discuss the lost ideals of the revolution. He called on the Greek community to lend its supports to the struggles of Australia’s indigenous people and to celebrate 25 March 2021 with their flag as a symbol of the migrant community’s solidarity.
The speech ended with a concert featuring Vasilis Mihalakis, Antonis Iliou, Stelios Tsiolas and Anthi Sidiropoulou.
