Tens of thousands of Greeks took to the streets in 110 cities Sunday, including 13 locations abroad, to demand justice for the 57 victims of the country’s deadliest rail disaster in 2023, in the largest protest in Greece in more than a decade.
The largest marches, with about 30,000 taking part in each, took place in Greece’s two largest cities, Athens and Thessaloniki. They were mostly peaceful but there were some clashes with police and protesters. Police say one protester was arrested and that violence started out after groups of hooded men broke away from the crowd and attacked the police with Molotov cocktails and stones. Police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to break up the crowd. The clashes only lasted a few minutes.
In London, about 500 people demonstrated outside the Greek Embassy in the Holland Park neighborhood. More protests were staged in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Cologne, Helsinki, London, Nicosia, Reykjavik and Valetta, Malta, and many more (photos below).
The protesters, called to demonstrate by victims’ relatives, held placards and chanted “I have no oxygen,” a phrase reportedly uttered by a victim, still alive, who called the 112 European emergency number to report the incident. Another placard, seen in Thessaloniki, accused the state, the conservative government and the European Commission of having blood on their hands.
“What is happening today is majestic,” Pavlos Aslanidis, the father of a victim, told media in Thessaloniki. “This is now a global fight,” he added, referring to the protests abroad. “Μy son’s soul must be elated … I believe we will win. We have the state ranged against us, but we will win.”
The marchers accused the government of hiding significant evidence, running an opaque investigation and trying to blame the disaster on a stationmaster’s bad decisions.
The disaster happened on the night of Feb. 28, 2023 when a northbound passenger train collided with a southbound freight train, which had been placed mistakenly on the same track, linking Athens with Thessaloniki.
A combination of anger, anguish over the deaths of mostly young people and a desire to make political capital out of the tragedy has given play to a series of rumors about the accident.
The release to local media of a chilling new audio recording suggests that dozens of the victims may have died after the collision of Greece’s worst rail disaster, contrary to what was previously argued, that all the victims had been killed in the crash. At least 30 of the 57 victims might have survived the initial impact only to suffocate or burn to death in a fire started not by the high-speed crash but, allegedly, by dangerous chemicals transported by the freight train. Some have accused the government of trying to hide that chemicals were on board.
A lengthy investigation and delays by technical experts in producing reports about what caused the fire after the crash have pushed back a trial date. Greek media have reported that it is possible a trial could begin in the spring if there are no further delays. Some victims’ relatives are also accusing a small group among them of further delaying the procedure by calling more witnesses among the survivors. It is estimated that about 50-60 rail and other officials will be put on trial.
“This has been the most mafia-like cover-up operation,” Maria Karystianou, President of the Association of Relatives of Tempi Victims, whose daughter died in the crash, told the Athens protesters marching outside the Parliament building Sunday. Karystianou has taken on a high-profile role, organising events, petitioning the European Parliament and opining on Greek politics in media appearances. “As it became clear today, all Greeks desire to have a functional, real, rule of law. We have taken to the streets and we are shouting. We hope that they will hear us all the way to Brussels. We want to ensure that no crime goes unpunished,” she concluded, adding, “Thank you all, we will succeed.”
Dimitris Vervesos, President of the Athens Bar Association, also addressed the crowd, stating: “We are here searching for oxygen. We are here to leave behind the era of cover-ups.”
Opposition political parties had hoped the crash, which led the then-transport minister to resign, would hurt the government. But while it exposed a lack of safety equipment in the rail system it had no effect on the two elections held in May and June 2023, in which the ruling conservatives expanded their majority. The opposition tried again last year to put pressure on the government with a no-confidence motion which it easily survived .
A judicial investigation is still ongoing and the cause of death of many of the victims has still not been determined.
That’s prompted families to accuse the government of trying to cover up evidence, something Athens denies.
Greece’s centre-right government headed by Kyriakos Mitsotakis was re-elected three months after the crash and promised to reform the country’s rail network but the European Commission says that so far progress has been slow.
At the Athens protest, a statement from the victims’ families was circulated which claimed “The tragedy in Tempi was not an accident. It was a crime born of indifference, irresponsibility and corruption. A crime which must not go unpunished,” the resolution stated.
List of cities/countries where the protests were planned to take place
Agios Nikolaos – Central Square
Amfissa – Isaia Square
Andros – Theophilos Kairis Square
Arta – Central Square, Saint Dimitrios
Agrinio – Central Square
Aegina – Old Pier
Alexandroupoli – City Hall
Aliveri – Lignite Miner Statue
Amaliada – Saint Athanasios Square
Amorgos – City Hall, Chora Amorgos
Athens – Syntagma Square
Aridaia – Central Square
Veria – City Hall
Volos – Beach, Statue
Ioannina – Central Square, Regional Authority
Giannitsa – EPON Square
Grevena – Deskati – Central Square
Grevena – Lahanagora Square
Gytheio – Girls’ School Square
Drama – Freedom Square
Edessa – Little Waterfalls Square
Elassona – Central Square
Euboea – Loutra Edipsou – Thermopotamou Square
Igoumenitsa – City Hall Square
Heraklion – Freedom Square
Thasos – Limenas, Heroes Square
Thessaloniki – Kamara
Thebes – Central Square
Ierapetra, Lassithi, Crete – Freedom Square
Ikaria – Evdilos Square
Istiaia – Central Square
Kavala – Central Square
Kalavryta – Central Square
Kalamata – Georgiou Square
Karditsa – Central Square
Karpenisi – Central Square
Katerini – Freedom Square
Kastoria – Athens Square
Kefalonia – Vallianou Square
Kilkis – Peace Square
Kilkis – Polykastro – Central Square (2nd)
Kilkis – Polykastro Central Square
Kozani – Central Square
Komotini – Peace Square
Corinth – Courthouse
Kos – Freedom Square
Skiathos – City Hall, Chora Skiathos
Krioneri – Thermopotamou
Larissa – Central Square
Laconia – Geraki, Square
Laconia – Molai – Dimakou Square (Molai) 2nd Gathering
Lamia – Park Square
Leros – Platanos Square
Lefkada – Central Square
Lemnos – Myrina City Hall
Livadeia – Central Square
Megara – Central Square
Mytilene – Sappho Square
Mykonos – Manto Mavrogenous Statue
Naxos – Mandilara Square
Nafplio – Nafplio City Hall
Nafplio – Three Admirals Square
Nafpaktos – Harbour Square
Neapolis, Voion, Laconia
Xanthi – Central Square
Orestiada – Dasios Square
Paros – Manto Mavrogenous Square
Patras – Georgiou Square
Perama, Mylopotamos, Rethymno – City Hall Square
Preveza – Courthouse Beachfront (in front of Courthouse)
Ptolemaida – Central Square
Pyrgos, Ilia – Central Square
Rethymno – Unknown Soldier Square
Rhodes – City Hall Square
Santorini – Fira – Sarpakis Square
Serres – Freedom Square
Sikinos – Central Square
Sifnos – Heroes Square
Sitia – Heroes Square
Skiathos – Entrance of Bourtzi
Sparta – Central Square
Spetses – Poseidonion Square
Symi – (Gathering at the Anchors) 11:45
Syros – Miaoulis Square
Trikala – Kalambaka – Central Square
Tripoli, Arcadia – Petrinou Square
Florina – Central Square
Chalkida – Post Office Square
Chalkidona, Thessaloniki – Chalkidona Square
Chalkidiki – Nea Moudania Square (2nd)
Chalkidiki – Nea Moudania Square
Chalkidiki – Polygyros – City Hall
Chania – Market Square
Chios – Vounaki Square
Abroad:
England – Cambridge – Market Square
England – Manchester – St. Peter’s Square
Egypt – Alexandria – Cultural Centre
Belgium – Brussels – Place Luxembourg
Germany – Frankfurt – Greek Consulate
USA – Astoria – Athens Square
Spain – Barcelona – Arc de Triomf
Cyprus – Nicosia – Freedom Square
Malta – Valletta – Triton Square
Netherlands – Amsterdam – Dam Square
Scotland – Edinburgh – Castle Street, Princes Street
Finland – Helsinki – Greek Embassy
Cities’ photos source: Jo Di
Source: The Washington Post/Euronews/ KeepTalkingGreece/ To Vima
