The Supreme Council and the Anniversary of the Polytechnic Uprising

Every year on 17 November, Greece commemorates the Athens Polytechnic Uprising of 1973.

For the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (AASR) in Greece, this is not only a national anniversary; it is a profoundly symbolic moment where the values of the Polytechnic and the core ideals of the Rite meet in perfect harmony.

The students and citizens who rose up against the military dictatorship defended, in the streets and inside the Polytechnic, the very principles that the AASR teaches within its Temples: freedom of conscience, human dignity, the right of every person to choose their path and to shape their own destiny. When we speak of “Bread – Education – Freedom”, we are, in other words, speaking of social justice, enlightenment through knowledge, and liberation from fear and oppression – all of them pillars of Masonic and, specifically, Scottish Rite philosophy.

For this reason, the Supreme Council 33° of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for Greece considers it a moral duty, and not a simple formality, to honour the anniversary of the Polytechnic. This year again, an official delegation of the Supreme Council paid tribute to this day, as a visible sign that the AASR stands beside every genuine struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights.

For those unfamiliar with Greek history, the Athens Polytechnic Uprising was a historic student and popular revolt against the military dictatorship that ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974. In November 1973, students occupied the National Technical University of Athens (the “Polytechnic”) and set up a radio station broadcasting calls for democracy and liberty. The regime eventually responded with brutal force, culminating in the storming of the campus by tanks and resulting in numerous casualties and victims.

What began as a student movement rapidly became a symbol of the broader struggle of the Greek people against authoritarian rule. The slogan “Bread – Education – Freedom” captured not only the demands of that moment, but also enduring aspirations for a society based on social justice, human dignity, and democratic governance. Today, the anniversary of the Polytechnic is honoured throughout Greece as a day of remembrance and as a reminder of the duty of every generation to safeguard freedom.

The anniversary of the Polytechnic is not a mere date on a national calendar. It is a living memory and, at the same time, a living demand. It reminds us that freedom, democracy, and human dignity are never simply granted; they are won and preserved through sacrifice, responsibility, and a shared sense of purpose.

The Polytechnic is supra-partisan and supra-class. It does not “belong” to any political party, organization, or faction. It belongs to the Greek people as a whole. It belongs to the voices of the young men and women who stood up to authoritarian power, to the families who paid the cost, and to the generations that grew up with “Bread – Education – Freedom” as a moral compass for a more just society.

At the heart of the Polytechnic’s message lies freedom: freedom of conscience, freedom of choice, freedom of expression, and ultimately the freedom of self-determination. It is the right of every human being to shape their own life without fear, without oppression and without arbitrary power. These are not abstract slogans. They are precisely the ideals of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite put into practice: respect for human dignity, the search for Light, and the advancement of humanity through education, moral cultivation, and social responsibility.

The Polytechnic, therefore, transcends individual politicians and day-to-day politics. It cannot be confined within narrow partisan readings, nor reduced to rhetorical gestures. It speaks to timeless, universal values: freedom, democracy, justice, and respect for the human person, regardless of origin, ideology, or social condition. For this reason, it remains a permanent point of reference, not only for Greece, but for any society that aspires to live under the rule of law and in a framework of genuine civic liberty.

The vision that emerges from the Polytechnic is that of a society of free, creative individuals, living and working in an environment of security, institutional protection, and social justice. A society in which the rule of Law prevails over the law of force; where education is not a privilege for the few, but a right for all; and where progress is measured not only in economic terms, but also in ethical and spiritual terms. In such a society, the principles of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite are not theoretical—they become a daily attitude and responsibility.

In this spirit, this year again, the Supreme Council 33° of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for Greece, through an official delegation, honoured the anniversary of the Polytechnic. With humility and reverence for the memory of those who suffered and fell, but also with a clear awareness that honouring the Polytechnic cannot be limited to a ceremony or a wreath-laying. It must continue in our everyday commitment to freedom, justice, and responsibility towards society.

For all these reasons, the Supreme Council honours, and will continue to honour, the Polytechnic. Not only as a historical event, but as a living reminder that the Mason, the citizen, the human being must always stand upright before any form of arbitrariness and obscurantism. As a promise that, through our work, we will continue to serve the ideals of a free, democratic, and just society—worthy of the sacrifice and vision of those who raised their voices at the Athens Polytechnic.