Editorial: Respect

Our politicians until now had become accustomed to honouring the spirit and memory of the 1973 Athens Polytechnic uprising against the junta.

 Today one sadly observes that the main opposition leader diverged from that rule and from the respect to which history is entitled.

 Unfortunately, he forgot the heroic sacrifices of the Athens Polytechnic students in order to degrade Sunday’s march by treating it as a mere ant-government protest.

 The leader of SYRIZA protested in an upbeat manner and yesterday said he was annoyed by Ta Nea’s front page. It is not only his distaste for press criticism that impresses one as that has been exhibited many times, even when the criticism is justified.

 One is justified in wondering how a politician who sang the praises of President Trump participated in a march the destination of which is the US Embassy and which aims to strongly condemn US policy.

 It is also noteworthy that the leader of SYRIZA attempted to cut down to size the historic Polytechnic march to suit his objectives.

 What kind of anti-government march could it be that he abandons half-way through? Why did the aspiring leader of the ant-government front do that, abandoning the supposed anti-government protesters?

 One raises these questions to show that such efforts are untenable.

 The leader of SYRIZA is not obliged to answer.

 Yet he has a duty to respect his institutional role and above all historical memory.