Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2021 shows the city of Athens in Greece.Photo:Xinhua

Tens of thousands of people joined protests in Greece's two largest cities on Wednesday, marking the anniversary of a 1973 student revolt against a US-backed junta, an annual event that often sparks violence. 

Twenty thousand turned out in the capital Athens, according to police. Most of the marchers were students, unionists and members of leftist parties. A further 14,000 marched in the second city Thessaloniki.

Police were deployed in their thousands in the capital, supported by drones, a helicopter and water cannon as violence regularly breaks out during the annual protest. However, both demonstrations remained peaceful into the evening.

In Athens, thousands marched to the US embassy to protest against Washington's support for the Greek military dictatorship during the Cold War.

"No to police violence and suppression," read one banner, "Resistance to fascism" another.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a statement said, "Let us welcome this great anniversary... without extreme behavior."

The American embassy in Athens was ringed with riot police and police vehicles on Wednesday, with embassy staff sent home early, while central Athens subway stations were closed on security grounds.

"US government personnel have been advised to avoid the downtown areas of Athens and Thessaloniki in the late afternoon and to stay behind police lines until the Greek authorities announce the conclusion of the event," the embassy said ahead of the protests.

AFP