Antiwar Rally Planned in Rethymno Over Middle East Tensions

• Antiwar rally planned for March 12 in Rethymno.
• Organized by unions, doctors, and local associations.
• Protest linked to tensions involving Iran and the Middle East.
• Participants demand an end to attacks and Greek military involvement.
• Demonstration to take place at Rethymno Town Hall.

An antiwar and anti-imperialist rally will take place in Rethymno on Thursday, March 12 at 18:00, outside the Town Hall, organized by local unions and associations, who say the protest is a response to recent military developments in the Middle East and to Greece’s involvement in international operations.

The organizers state that the demonstration is being held to oppose attacks against Iran, the escalation of conflict in the region, and the use of Greek military facilities, including the Souda base, in operations linked to the wider crisis.

According to the announcement, the rally is supported by several local organizations, including the Union of Hospital Doctors of Rethymno, the Builders’ Union of Rethymno, the Employees Association of the Regional Unit of Rethymno, and other professional groups.

Demands of Unions and Associations

The participating unions call for:

• Stop the attacks and the embargo against Iran now.
• No Greek soldiers in Gaza.
• Withdraw the artillery from Saudi Arabia and the warships from the Red Sea and Cyprus.
• No soldiers outside the borders.
• Out of the EU and NATO now.
• Close all bases.
• We should not pay for the consequences of their wars with high oil prices and basic necessities.
• Now is the time to intensify the struggle in all workplaces.

Organizers also state that the rally is intended as a response to what they describe as an increasing risk of wider conflict in the region and to Greece’s involvement through military cooperation with allied forces.

Call From the Association of General and Family Doctors (SYGENIAR)

The Association of General / Family Doctors of the National Health System in Rethymno also issued a separate call to participate in the rally, inviting doctors, healthcare workers, and citizens to attend.

Their demands include:

• Immediate cessation of the war in Iran and Lebanon.
• Withdrawal of Greece from all military activity in the Middle East and the southern Mediterranean.
• Justice and protection for the affected peoples.
• The Greek people should not pay the economic consequences of war and speculative developments.

The association also criticizes what it describes as silence toward civilian casualties and warns against further military involvement by Greece.