The Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) condemns the Greek government’s attacks on the commemoration of the 47^th Polytechnic and Athens workers' uprising against the right-wing US-backed military junta which ruled Greece between 1967-1974. The Greek government’s reasoning that it banned the events due to the pandemic holds no water because it is the workers who have actually been at the forefront of the struggle against the pandemic while the government clutched at straws after allowing the collapse of the healthcare system. It is the people, not the government, who have been exemplary on prevention measures, in all their events observing proper health protection protocols against the pandemic.

The dictatorship of the US-backed military junta led to multiple murders of the people and widespread suppression, against which the people stood up. The annual anniversary rally (17^th of November) conveys the messages "USA out - NATO out" and "bread-education-freedom", which were slogans of the Polytechnic uprising.

The CPS also offers unconditional solidarity with the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the entire working class. The CPS is also encouraged by the resilience and fighting spirit that the KKE, students, workers and all anti-imperialist protesters have demonstrated in the wake of these attacks. It has emerged that police forces attacked KKE protesters with batons, tear gas, and water cannons, seriously injuring many people and also overseeing dozens of arrests.

This latest act by the Greek government is aimed at getting rid of the anti-imperialist message of the uprising of 1973, and in this regard wishes to wipe away the history of the Greek working class. The government also wishes to justify the imperialist grip of NATO in Europe and the consequences of such control.

The CPS calls upon the working class of the entire world to unite in the fight against imperialism. The advance of imperialist forces such as NATO and its ally, the USA regime, has led to untold suffering to the people of the world and must be resisted with decisive working-class unity.

Issued by the Communist Party of Swaziland