On the evening of Saturday, March 11, 1978, a powerful bomb exploded inside the 'Elli' cinema located on Academias street in Athens. At the time of the explosion, the Soviet film 'Rainbow,' a significant production from 1944 depicting resistance against the Nazis, was being screened to an audience of about 100 people. The incident resulted in injuries to 18 attendees, with three suffering severe wounds, marking a stark episode of violence in the city during a politically tumultuous period.

This attack occurred during the initial years of Greece's post-Junta era, a time characterized by significant political tensions and past manifestations of public violence. In the early hours following the explosion, authorities initiated investigations that targeted various leads. However, as the inquiry progressed, the focus shifted towards individuals linked to far-right neo-fascist groups, suggesting a concerning trend of politically motivated violence re-emerging in society.

Notably, the explosion at the 'Elli' cinema was not an isolated incident; shortly after, a second explosive device was found at the 'Rex' cinema on Panepistimiou street before it could detonate. These events underlined the heightened state of insecurity in Athens and raised alarms about the potential for further violence as extremist groups began to exploit the chaotic political landscape of the time.