The march in central Athens began peacefully, with more than 12,000 people taking part in the procession to commomorate the 1973 pro-democracy uprising against the military junta of the time.

The event turned violent when hundreds of self-styled anarchists began to throw stones at police, set fire to garbage cans and destroy cars. Police retaliated with tear gas and detained around 200 people.

Local media reported that 13 police officers had been injured in the clashes.

A similar procession in Greece's second largest city Thessaloniki also resulted in clashes between police and anarchist demonstrators.

Commemoration of 1973 uprising

The annual marches are held to mark the uprising at the Athens Polytechnic University in November 1973, which heralded the end of the country's military dictatorship. Dozens of students are believed to have been killed during the uprising.

The march ends at the US embassy, as a protest against United States support for the junta.

This year, some protesters used the march to also mark the shooting of a teenager almost a year ago by Greek police.

One group held a banner that read "Remember, remember the 6th of December," referring to the date on which Alexis Grigoropoulos was shot dead, sparking some of Greece's worst riots in decades.

ca/dpa/AFP/Reuters

Editor: Michael Lawton