Hundreds of people gathered on July 7 in central Athens to protest the NATO summit taking place in Ankara. The NATO summit is yet another step in the process of laying the groundwork for World War III. The “allies” have once again agreed to increase so-called defense spending and reignite the fronts of war. They have once again targeted the peoples of the entire planet.
Despite the unfavorable conditions for the anti-war movement, hundreds of people and young people demonstrated in Athens as well. The CPG (m-l) participated in the demonstrations, forming a dynamic bloc that marched all the way to the U.S. Embassy. With slogans and leaflets, it addressed the city’s residents, denouncing the dangerous military developments and the imperialist plans that seek to redraw the world map with the blood of the peoples. It highlighted the aspects of imperialist subjugation that have turned Greece into a vast U.S.-NATO base. It denounced the country’s participation—and entanglement—in war plans, which bring nothing but suffering to our people, emphasizing the need to withdraw from NATO.
The CPG (m-l) put forward the demand that “the people do not need protectors,” in contrast to other views circulating within the Greek left. Those who hold these views do not believe that the people can stop the war. They do not believe that they can form a united front against war and imperialism. That is why they support the so-called “axis of resistance”—Iran, Russia, and China. They believe that this is the only way to put a stop to American imperialism.
The demonstration in Athens was followed by others in a number of cities across Greece. It was an initial response to the war plans, but it was certainly not enough. Building an anti-war, anti-imperialist movement is a very serious matter. In every city and every country, people must discuss the issue in their workplaces and neighborhoods and organize anti-war initiatives. They must take to the streets and demonstrate. Only in this way can we put a stop to the murderers’ plans. Because the people have nothing to divide them. They must build a united front against war and imperialism.