Athens: Some 32,000 people took to the streets of Greece to mark the 41st anniversary of a deadly student uprising that sparked the country's return to democracy in the 1970s.

As the march that officials said drew 18,000 people in Athens was winding down yesterday, the 7,000-strong police contingent used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse a crowd burning American and European Union flags in front of the US embassy.