Greeks hold mass protests demanding justice after Tempi train tragedy

The Greeks held their largest protests in years and participated in a general strike to celebrate the second anniversary of the railway disaster that left 57 people dead and was injured.

In the middle of Athens alone, the crowd was placed in hundreds of thousands, and large numbers were seen in the Saloniki, Larissa and Anina, as well as many other cities.

“For those of us who gave birth to children on this train, part of our soul remained there and will never return,” said Maria Carristiano, president of the Timby victims Association, whose daughter Martathi was among those who were killed in the tragedy.

On Thursday, the investigation concluded that the accident was due to a human error, poor maintenance and insufficient employment.

By early in the afternoon, a group of convincing men began throwing rocks and gasoline bombs on the police, lighting the emotional atmosphere near Parliament.

The police responded to the riot equipment with tear gas and water cannon, as clashes continued for some time throughout the center of the capital, in Ermou, ONIA and PROPYLAIA.

Dozens of people were arrested and the troubles went again with the fall of the evening.

Violence casts a huge scale of protests in almost every city in Greece.

“I am here on the anniversary of the people who were killed in the train accident. We ask for justice,” 13 -year -old Dimitris, who came with his father Petros Policos to the largest gathering in Greece, in Syntagma Square in the center of Athens.

During the night of February 28, 2023, the passenger train, full of students, collided with a face with a cargo train near Tempi Gorge in the center of Greece.

The report issued by the Air Accidents and Railways Investigation Board in Greece has warned that the safety failures revealed by the incident have not yet been addressed. “These children were killed because the train was not safe,” said the President of the Authority, Christos, Papadmeterio.

The Greek Tempi Rail disaster was shocked by many of their conservative government’s accusation of doing very little by shedding light on the causes of the tragedy. There is a widespread belief that the government has sought to cover up the role of high -ranking officials.

The entire Athens Center was crowded with people of all ages and all aspects of life, as many said they were attending a demonstration for the first time in their lives.

Demetris and his father were among many demonstrators in Athens, wearing the shirts that I read “I have no oxygen – justice at the end,” referring to the 57 people who died.

The gatherings were organized in 346 cities, via Greece in Thessaloniki, Ianina, Patas and Larissa, as well as in cities across Europe, including Brussels, Rome and many cities in the United Kingdom.

The service of passengers from Athens to Tsaloniki was crowded with students returning to the university after a Greek Orthodox holiday when the train collided with the goods train on the same path outside Larissa.

After seconds, a fire ball was almost completely destroyed.

In Athens, the demonstrators carried banners reading “My child, call me when you arrive” and “Do not cover up.”

Dina Ghazi, 62, held white balloons with the names of those who died in the accident. “I think a firm belief that the government is covering those responsible for the accident,” BBC said. “We ask for all the evidence to appear.”

The shops at the center dropped their shutters, as many did not go with sympathy and support messages in their windows, and ordinary people did not go to work.

Schools were closed, flights and trains were canceled, and public transport was the only public transport that was still operating to and to Syntagma Square.

Taxi drivers promised to take people to protest without charge.

In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that everyone’s ideas were with the families of the 57 victims who died, as well as with the wounded and those who survived but carried the memory of that night.

He added, “There will be nothing more than ever.”

In his post for nearly six years, this is the first time since Mitsotakis was elected that he was in a difficult political position. He promised to move “more dynamic and speed” to achieve modern and safe trains.

For the Greeks, this mass protest was unusual in that it was not related to the economy and their personal money.

On Thursday, an investigation found that millions of euros were paid to cover the installation of safety systems along the railway, but the project remained incomplete due to corruption and bureaucracy.

Relatives of the dead believe in the accident that the goods train may have smuggled fuel on behalf of a smuggling ring.

“It is impossible to determine exactly what caused [the fireball]The report found that simulation and expert reports indicate a possibility of unknown fuel yet. “

“I lost serious information because the accident site was not sealed,” said experts.

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis denied the presence of Taster and said that the prosecution was not supported by the report.

Other allegations appeared indicating that orders were presented to disinfect the crash site and the “waste dump” after days of the disaster, which means that the evidence disappeared. But Marinakis said that the investigation report concluded that no political guidance was given to change the scene.

While he was standing in the midst of a protest on Friday in the SYNTAGMA Square, Pavilos Aslanidis spoke about the death of his 26 -year -old Dimitris in the Timby accident.

“I don’t know how to find strength to stand,” BBC told BBC.

“My son gives me strength. Otherwise, I will not here to be demanding justice today.”