STORY: Protesters and trade union members gathered in central Athens on Friday (March 27) to demonstrate against Greece’s military spending, calling for the country to abstain from any involvement in the war in Iran.

The rally, held in Syntagma Square, was organised by Greece’s main civil servants’ union 'ADEDY' and the communist-affiliated 'PAME' labour movement.

Protesters chanted anti-war slogans and held banners calling on the government to refrain from any participation in military operations. One protester burnt a European Union flag in front of EU offices in Athens. Unions said the demonstration was part of a broader mobilisation against rising defence expenditures, arguing that public funds should instead be directed towards social services and wages.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: ATHENS, GREECE (MARCH 27, 2026) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. PROTESTER BURNING EUROPEAN UNION FLAG IN FRONT OF THE EU OFFICES IN ATHENS

2. VARIOUS OF PROTESTER WRITING SLOGAN READING (Greek): "GREECE OUT OF THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE OF WAR", DURING A RALLY CALLED BY GREECE'S MAIN CIVIL SERVANTS UNION 'ADEDY' AND THE COMMUNIST-AFFILIATED 'PAME' LABOUR MOVEMENT

3. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “The flames of war are in our neighbourhood, if we don’t rise up our turn will come”

4. PROTESTER MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “Imperialism is not invincible”

5. PROTESTER MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “The only superpower are the people”

6. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING HOLDING BANNERS AND CHANTING SLOGANS

7. SOLDIERS MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “Solidarity to the people’s fight”

8. SOLDIERS MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “Soldiers are children of the people, they have no business outside of the borders”

9. SOLDIERS MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “Greece out of the slaughter”

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PROTESTER, KONSTANTINOS LAVREZOS, SAYING:

“We are here today to protest against the war, we don’t want to be meat for their canons. We want the money that is being given to the war, to be given for wages and pensions so that we can deal with the high prices that are hurting Greek society because we want a life with rights, and not war.”

11. PROTESTER MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “The only superpower are the people”

12. PROTESTERS MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “They are bringing destruction to the middle east, greece out of the massacre”

13. PROTESTER MARCHING AND CHANTING (Greek): “This is the answer of the workers”

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) PROTESTER, SOTIRIS AGGELOPOULOS, SAYING:

“The situation in the economy and in society is going from bad to worse. The same causes and roots that today lead to wars and the slaughter of entire peoples are exactly the same causes that create high prices, so that today we are unable to cover our basic needs, workers, pensioners, and the self-employed.”

15. VARIOUS OF LARGE BANNER IN FRONT OF THE GREEK PARLIAMENT READING (Greek): "GREECE OUT OF WAR, CLOSE THE BASES"