Hundreds of thousands of people in Greece on Friday gathered in towns throughout the country joining rallies calling for justice for the 57 victims of the Tempi train disaster in 2023 and demanding an open and transparent trial for all responsible, including members of the conservative government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Huge rallies took place in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras and Iraklio along with dozens of other towns. Greeks living abroad also organized rallies in the US, Australia, Germany, and even Iceland.
In Athens, at least 200,000 people demonstrated in front of the Parliament building in Syntagma Square to demand justice. Police estimate that the rally in Athens is one of the largest in recent years, with participants of all ages.
Many walked several kilometers to join the demonstration as subway trains heading downtown were already jammed with passengers. Among the crowd was Maria Karystianou, who tragically lost her 20-year-old daughter at Tempi, and has become a tragic heroine.
Clashes with police
The demonstration in Athens to mark the second anniversary of the country’s worst rail tragedy was marred by clashes between hooded anarchists and the police. It all started when anarchists hurled petrol bombs towards a large unit of riot police stationed in the yard of the Greek Parliament.
The hooded assailants pushed through protesters to attack police who responded with tear gas. The clash, initially limited to one corner of Syntagma square, spread within minutes to the surrounding streets as petrol bombs landed on Vasilissis Sofias avenue and other roads near the square.
By 13.30 p.m., most protesters had cleared the square to escape the clashes.
Five people injured during the clashes that broke out in Syntagma Square on Friday were rushed to Attica hospitals in ambulances. Due to the suffocating atmosphere created by tear gas and the petrol bombs used by rioters, the ceremonial Evzone guards stationed outside Parliament were ordered to take shelter inside the building.
Rallies for Tempi in other cities in Greece
Thessaloniki
Patras
Heraklion
Chania
Nafplion
Mykonos
Ralles for Tempi show public resentment
The mass mobilization throughout Greece and beyond has been fueled by public resentment against the conservative government’s perceived inaction. Critics say that politicians should be held accountable for failures that led up to the crash, but so far only rail officials have been charged with any crimes.
Public transport, airplanes, schools and courts―even supermarkets, shops, cafés, theaters, bars and clubs―closed their doors, while the huge demonstrations paralyzed the country.
The Feb. 28, 2023, disaster in Tempi—where a passenger train collided head-on with an oncoming freight train—was Greece’s worst railway accident. The fiery crash also left dozens injured and exposed deficiencies in the country’s transportation infrastructure.
According to opinion polls, the vast majority of Greeks believe the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis is attempting to cover up what really happened, and who was really to blame, when a freight train and a passenger train packed with students crashed head on. There is speculation—neither proved nor entirely disproven—that highly flammable chemicals were being transported.
Related: Massive Protests Rock Greece as Anger Over Tempi Disaster Intensifies
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