The rally at Syntagma Square in central Athens was by far the largest. Many workers came there in organized union contingents, including from the Construction Workers Union and the Metal Workers Union.

Thousands of youth were visible as well, many of them high school and university students. The main organizers of the rally at Syntagma were the All-Workers Front (PAME), which is composed of several local labor unions, and the Greek Committee for Detente and Peace (EEDYE). Both PAME and EEDYE are led by the Stalinist Communist Party of Greece (KKE).

Chants there included, "Clinton butcher of the Balkans," "NATO out of the Balkans," and "Americans, murderers of the peoples."

A much smaller rally at Kaningos Square was organized by the General Confederation of Labor, the teachers federation (OLME) and youth organizations, including the governing party's Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) youth group. Hundreds of people also participated in a third rally organized by several extra-parliamentary left groups and anarchists.

For two days the capitalist PASOK government shut down much of this city as part of "security" measures for Clinton's visit. All traffic was kept out of central Athens and police were placed on almost every street corner.

All public, open-air gatherings or marches were banned in a large area around the U.S. embassy. Participants in any protest within this zone faced a jail sentence of up to one year.

Clinton postponed his visit to Athens for six days when the PASOK government gave permission for a protest march scheduled for Clinton's arrival on November 13 to reach the U.S. embassy. On that day, about 6,000 people participated at a march to the embassy chanting "Greece is not a protectorate, take your bases and go," referring to the NATO military bases in Greece.

More than 15,000 people marched again to the U.S. Embassy November 17 in commemoration of a student uprising at the Athens Polytechnic Institute on that date in 1973, which led to the overthrow of a U.S.-backed military dictatorship. In Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, 6,000 people also marched to the U.S. consulate denouncing the U.S.-led NATO bombing of Yugoslavia earlier this year.

Participants from the three rallies held on November 19 converged at Syntagma Square. They were responding to a call by PAME and EEDYE to exercise their democratic right to march to the U.S. embassy despite the government's ban. The march was led by metal and construction workers.

As witnessed by this reporter, when the march reached the first police road block the cops—unprovoked—attacked the protesters with tear gas and chemical spray. Amid clouds of choking fumes, special riot police wearing gas masks chased workers and youth through the streets and alleys.

Since there was no organized retreat, the cops easily and quickly dispersed the participants in the march.

Dozens of protesters were injured in the police attack, and about 40 were arrested. While the cops were attacking and dispersing the march, small numbers of anarchist youth smashed the windows of banks and shops and lit fires while the police stood by.

Stalinist leaders of PAME and EEDYE who spoke at the rally in Syntagma presented a bourgeois nationalist perspective. They denounced Greek prime minister Constantinos Simitis for "bowing to the Americans," while not mentioning a word about Greek imperialism's intervention in the Balkans.

Greek troops are part of the U.S.-organized NATO occupation forces in Bosnia and Kosova. During Washington's bombing campaign against working people of Yugoslavia, thousands of NATO troops and tanks passed through the port of Thessaloniki heading for Kosova.

Although they are allies, Greek capitalists also have conflicting interests with Washington in this region. "In spite of our differences, I want to thank the Greek government for staying with NATO allies during a crisis which was far harder on you than on any other country in our alliance," Clinton said at a conference with Greek politicians and bosses, referring to Athens's close relations with the regime of Slobodan Milosevic in Serbia.

Thessaloniki, Clinton continued, "is becoming known as the commercial hub of the Balkans," He announced that the U.S. government will open "an office for Balkan reconstruction" in that city. Clinton also affirmed that Washington will continue to be Athens' main supplier of advanced weaponry.

Clinton expressed support for the demand of the Simitis government that the conflict between the Turkish and Greek governments over rights to the Aegean territory be refereed to the International Court of Justice in the Hague. The PASOK government insists on expending its territory from 6 to 12 miles, which would give Greek capitalists exclusive right to exploit the Aegean and its mineral resources.  
 
 
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