Greeks march to mark 1973 student revolt against junta

Athens' Polytechnic School students carry a blood-stained
Greek flag during a rally marking the anniversary of a 1973
 student uprising against a dictatorship then ruling Greece.

(Reuters) - Thousands of Greeks protesting against austerity policies rallied in Athens on Saturday to mark a bloody student uprising almost four decades ago against the military junta that then ruled the country.

The annual protest often becomes a focal point for groups protesting against government policies. Students, teachers, workers and pensioners laid wreaths and carnations at the city's Polytechnic school to honor the dozens killed in the Nov 17, 1973 revolt.

"We must send (the government) a message. The situation can change only if we resist," said 37-year-old Panagiotis Sarantidis, who went to the Polytechnic school to pay tribute to the dead students holding his daughter in his arms.

About 7,000 police were deployed to patrol the streets in central Athens and roads blocked off as the march started.