Thousands of Greeks nationwide and abroad joined the protest rallies marking three years since the rail disaster at Tempi in which 57 people lost their lives. Several unions declared nationwide strikes and other mobilizations in addition to rallies.
The 3rd anniversary of the tragic accident comes weeks before the anticipated launch of its trial on March 23, 2026.
Greeks seek justice for Tempi rail disaster
Under the slogan “Their profits or our lives. It was not an accident, it was murder. We do not forget, we do not forgive,” the Association of the Families of Tempi Victims was joined by labor centers, the civil servants’ union federation ADEDY, and other trade union organizations, student associations and other bodies, gathering before the Hellenic Parliament building in Athens to demand “true justice” ahead of the trial over the rail crash.
“With the main trial starting on March 23, our struggle to uncover the true causes and all the guilty parties, however highly placed, is more crucial than ever. The Tempi accident was no ‘unfortunate moment,’ but the expression of an inhuman policy, in which human lives count for nothing before returns and profits,” their message said, urging all citizens to “form a common front against cover-ups and forgetting.”
A minute’s silence was observed in honor of the 57 victims before scheduled speeches addressed the public. Thousands of citizens also demonstrated around Thessaloniki’s Aristotelous Square.
In the central square in the city of Larissa, where the deadly train collision occurred, a memorial service for the victims was held, attended by families of the victims and any citizens who wished to pay their respects. Demonstrators were joined by farmers and youth organizations in a march to the city’s railway station.
Flowers and wreaths were placed at the site and a minute’s silence in the memory of the victims was also observed. A concert dedicated to the memory of the victims is to be held in the city at 7pm local time.
Demonstrations and marches were also held on the island of Rhodes, the cities of Chania, Rethymno and Herakleion on Crete, in Ioannina and other towns and cities of Epirus, on the islands of Lesvos, Corfu, and Lefkada, in Lamia, Livadia, Thiva, Karpenissi, Amfissa, Halkida and Atalanti in Central Greece, in the port city of Patras, the city of Pyrgos on the Peloponnese and in Agrinio and other towns of western Greece, as well as in Thessaly in the cities of Karditsa, Kalambaka and Trikala. Speakers also referenced the recent tragic deaths at the Violanta cookie factory.
A video showed 57 white balloons released in the air in the city of Lamia, one for each victim of the Tempi rail disaster.
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