News - Middle East: Thousands of demonstrators in Greece have rallied to mark the anniversary of a violently-quashed student uprising in 1973 against a US-backed junta which ruled the country back then.

On Thursday, about 5,500 Greeks took to the streets in the capital Athens, according to police, in a rally closely watched by security forces.

Earlier, police had announced that 5,700 of its personnel were stationed in the capital for the day, supported by drones, a helicopter and water cannon, as the demonstration often becomes a focal point for protest rallies against government policies.

The annual march moves toward the embassy of the United States, which many Greeks accuse of backing the 1967-1974 military dictatorship established in the country.

Demonstrators on Thursday were carrying banners that read, "US and NATO get out, disengagement from war."
 Young front-running protesters held a flag symbolically stained with blood in memory pf the students who participated in the 1973 revolt.

Large parts of the city center were closed off to traffic and central Athens subway stations shut early.

Before reaching the heavily-guarded parliament on Syntagma square, brief tension erupted between police and demonstrators.