On Saturday 5/9 the inauguration of the 74th International Expo of the city, a site for government speeches and promises was met by thousands people taking to the streets in an "independent class" protest march, separate from the party-controlled marches of PAME and the GSEE.

The march was led by PEKOP, the Athens Cleaner's Union whose gen. secretary, K, Kouneva, was attacked with sulphoric acid last December by company thugs. In its call to the struggle PEKOP had announced: