Greece marked Armed Forces Day on Saturday with a video projected onto the Hellenic Parliament facade showcasing the history and struggles of the Greek army for the protection of the homeland since ancient times.
Among the projected historical battles was the Battle of Marathon, the Greek Revolution of 1821 and frigates of the Greek Navy apparently ready to meet the Turkish challenge.
One of the projections also had a religious theme featuring the Virgin Mary, who is the patron of the Greek Armed Forces.
The video triggered reactions and controversy online, with Greek people in lockdown taking to social media to voice their objections.
“This is projected on Parliament the day the Turkish NAVTEX is 6 nautical miles off the island of Kastellorizo,” writes Twitter user, Andreas Kallioras.
Older generations described the video as “creepy,” saying it reminded them of the military dictatorship and its main slogan “Homeland – Religion – Family.”
“The symbol of my teenage nightmare in parliament. The symbol of intolerance and fundamentalism. The symbol of SKASE, DO NOT SPEAK, the symbol of mafia and masculinity, the symbol of FEAR, the symbol of the deniers,” wrote Τριριτζάντζουλα.
Others found “inappropriate” the projection of “warmongering, national-christian kitsch” the day COVID-19 killed 108 people.
“The names of the dead should be projected,” wrote Maria Louka on Twitter.
Greek President marks Armed Forces Day:
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou joined in on the commemorations on Saturday, marking Greek Armed Forces Day by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of Parliament at downtown Athens’ Syntagma Square.
“At this time when Turkish aggression has intensified, my thoughts go out to the men and women in the armed forces who, with self-denial and exemplary patriotic ethos, have been on alert for months, without the opportunity for rest, to be with their families,” she said, thanking them “on behalf of all Greeks.”
The armed forces were also hailed by Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who thanked the men and women serving in the country’s defense forces for their “self-denial and sense of duty,” in a post on Twitter.
