The Day Greece Defied the Junta: Georgios Papandreou’s Funeral

Hundreds of thousands of Athenians attended the ceremonial of Georgios Papandreou sending a connection of defiance to the subject junta. Public Domain

The decease of erstwhile Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou connected November 1, 1968, became the crucible for Greece’s archetypal large enactment of defiance against the subject junta. This lawsuit allowed an estimated 300,000 Greeks to determination into the streets and openly protestation the cruel dictatorship that had seized the state connected April 21, 1967.

The consequent ceremonial of the “Old Man of Democracy”—a rubric Papandreou is inactive known by—gave the colonels a visceral sensation of the deep-seated nationalist resentment against their regime.

The censor and the circumstances of death

Papandreou served 3 presumption arsenic the premier curate of Greece (1944–1945, 1963, 1964–1965). Public Domain

Papandreou, who had been nether location apprehension since the 1967 coup, succumbed astatine Evangelismos infirmary astatine the property of 80 pursuing hours of surgery. The authorities instantly moved to power the narrative, issuing a heavy censored authoritative announcement:

“Georgios Papandreou passed distant astatine 2:20 americium astatine the property of 80. His decease was the effect of cerebral thrombosis, which was intolerable to beryllium prevented by doctors.”

Despite this effort astatine silence, overseas quality agencies, radio, and tv stations broadcast extended reports connected the bustling beingness of the erstwhile premier minister, bypassing the regime’s strict prohibition connected Greek newspapers publishing his biography.

Greece rises successful soundless protest

The junta made each effort to underplay the event. However, connected November 1st, erstwhile Papandreou’s assemblage was transferred to the chapel of the Metropolitan Church, the authorities could not prohibit the customary Greek Orthodox contented of paying respects to the dead.

The police, witnessing the immense nationalist turnout, issued a stark informing connected November 2nd, attempting to intimidate mourners:

“The Athens Police Headquarters announces that, according to verified information, elements of the utmost Left… volition effort provocations and different defamatory acts that would mar the representation of the country… the competent authorities volition instrumentality each ineligible measures to forestall immoderate disfigured act.”

Foreign quality agencies captured the country successful vivid detail, reporting connected a “respectful crowd” of radical from each walks of life—especially young radical and women—waiting successful an “endless line,” galore with tears successful their eyes, to grant their departed leader.

The ceremonial of Georgios Papandreou: An unstoppable quality river

The ceremonial procession became a massive, spontaneous anti-junta demonstration. Public Domain

The warnings were wholly ignored. On November 3rd, the time of the funeral, the assemblage swelled dramatically. Foreign reporters estimated the turnout astatine 300,000 people, with the backmost of the passionate assemblage stretching each the mode to Syntagma Square.

The ceremonial procession became a massive, spontaneous anti-junta demonstration. People, uncovering their dependable aft months of silence, shouted without fear: “Democracy – Democracy,” “Freedom – Freedom,” and “Down with the Junta!” arsenic the procession moved toward the First Cemetery.

Foreign agencies noted the profound significance: “Since the subject coup of April 21, 1967, Greek radical had mislaid each state of expression… Today, however, radical are demonstrating, taking arsenic a awesome the aged wide leader…”

The sheer size of the crowd—a “huge quality river” that stretched from the cemetery backmost to Filellinon Street—forced the constabulary to beryllium cautious and mostly refrain from intervening.

Despite their restraint, 40 radical were arrested for shouting slogans adjacent the cemetery. Of those, 36 were aboriginal sentenced to important situation presumption ranging from 18 months to 4 years and 8 months by the Emergency Military Court.

The ceremonial of Georgios Papandreou remains the largest and astir consequential spontaneous anti-junta demonstration, marking a important turning constituent wherever the Greek radical demonstrated their overwhelming desire for ideology and freedom.