Members of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) take part in a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece, on April 14, 2018. Thousands of Greek protesters marched in the center of Athens on Saturday against the U.S.-led strike against Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Greek protesters marched in the center of Athens on Saturday against the U.S.-led strike against Syria over the alleged use of chemical weapons.
Chanting slogans against the "murderers of nations" some 6,000 Greek Communist (KKE) party members, according to police estimates, gathered in front of the parliament and marched to the U.S. embassy in Athens.
Addressing the protest rally, KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas called on the Greek government to stay out of the conflict, shut down foreign bases and pull out of NATO.
A similar protest against "imperialist aggression" was organized by Leftist groups in the Greek capital which also ended peacefully.
"I cannot tell what people could gain only from today's rally, but generally speaking people certainly benefit if more and more citizens rise up and protest," Thodoris Anastassopoulos, one of the anti-war demonstrators told Xinhua.
Nikos Vourdoumbas, a teacher, was also among the crowd protesting outside the U.S. embassy in Athens.
"It is obvious that the claim they present regarding chemical weapons is a pretext. The real reason for the strikes is to control the region's energy resources. We condemn the attack," he told Xinhua.
In a press statement earlier on Saturday the Greek Foreign Ministry urged the international community to" remain focused on finding a political and sustainable solution in Syria; a solution that will end the war and restore peace in the country and the region."
"Diplomacy must return to centre stage, and the efforts within the framework of the UN must be continued," the Greek Ministry underlined.
