Traffic halts as anniversary of wartime refusal dominates front pages
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Roads in Athens and Thessaloniki are closed today for the Ohi Day national holiday, an anniversary that commemorates the 1940 refusal to allow Axis troops into the country. Metro, tram, and bus schedules have been rewritten for the occasion, though the primary focus remains on the national memory of World War II and the subsequent occupation.
New research suggests that while the holiday is a fixture of the calendar, public knowledge of the war's specific history remains uneven. Several outlets have taken the opportunity to explore the gaps in collective memory and the process by which the events of the 1940 epic were codified into a national celebration.
Away from the parades, investigations into the 'Mr. Horiatiko' businesses allege that raids were compromised by advance warnings. Informants reportedly used pet names as coded language to tip off the targets before authorities arrived. On the VOAK highway near Heraklion, a collision between a van and a car left five people injured.