Greeks have taken part in the largest protest to mark the second anniversary of the train crash, a heartbreaking incident that left 57 people dead and dozens injured. The protest was part of a nationwide strike, with thousands of people taking to the streets. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in central Athens, with protests also taking place in Thessaloniki, Larissa, Ioannina and many other cities.
Maria Cristianu, head of the Tempi accident victims' association, whose daughter Marti was killed in the accident, said, "For those who put our children on that train, a piece of our hearts remains there and will never return."
The study said Thursday that the accident was caused by human error, poor maintenance and insufficient personnel. Protesters have accused the government of failing to properly investigate the cause of the accident and of trying to cover up the role of senior officials.
By the next morning, some hooded men were throwing stones and petrol bombs at police, leading to clashes in central Athens, near the parliament. Police used riot gear to fire water cannons and tear gas, and the violence continued for some time.
Dimitris, 13, joined his father Petros Polyzos in the largest protest and said, "I came here to honor the memory of the people who died in the train accident. We want justice."
On the night of February 28, 2023, a passenger train full of students collided head-on with a freight train. The accident resulted in a huge fire and the first two coaches of the train were completely destroyed.
Greece's air and rail accident investigation authority has warned that safety flaws revealed by the crash have yet to be fixed. "Those children were killed because the train was not safe," said Christos Papadimitriou, the head of the investigation.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the 57 victims, with the injured and with those who carry the memory of that night,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a Facebook post. “Nothing will ever be the same again,” he added.
The protesters held placards in their protest that included “My child, call me when you arrive” and “No cover.”
The study also said that billions of euros were paid to install safety systems on the railways, but the project remained incomplete due to corruption and government delays. In addition, there have been some allegations that the freight train involved in the accident was linked to a smuggling operation.
Protesters claim that the incident was not properly investigated after the accident and that some information was destroyed, leading to accusations of a cover-up against the government. The government has denied these allegations.
Pavlos Aslanidis, the father of 26-year-old Dimitris, who died in the Tempi accident, said at the protest, "I don't know how I got the strength to stand, but my son gave me the strength. I wouldn't be standing here today if it weren't for me, but I want justice."
This has created a major political crisis in Greece and poses a major challenge for the government.
