Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Greece on Friday, demanding justice on the second anniversary of the country’s deadliest train crash. Workers went on strike, grounding flights and halting sea and train transport.
The crash, which occurred on February 28, 2023, near the Tempi gorge in central Greece, resulted in the deaths of 57 people, many of whom were students on a passenger train that collided with a freight train.
Two years later, an inquiry revealed that the safety issues that led to the crash still have not been addressed. A separate judicial investigation into the incident remains incomplete, and no one has been convicted for the tragedy.
Massive protests took place across Greece on Friday, with demonstrations planned in numerous cities. A nationwide strike grounded all international and domestic flights as air traffic controllers joined seafarers, train drivers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and other workers in a 24-hour general strike to honor the victims of the train crash. Businesses were closed, and theaters canceled their performances.
By early morning, tens of thousands gathered in Athens’ Syntagma Square, where they were observed by police in riot gear. A prominent sign read: “Government of murderers.” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right government, which was re-elected in 2023 after the crash, has faced significant criticism from the victims’ families for not launching a parliamentary inquiry into political responsibility.
The government denies any wrongdoing and asserts that it is the judiciary’s responsibility to investigate the incident. Friday’s protests reflected the growing frustration and anger over the disaster, especially in a country with a history of government mistrust, largely stemming from the financial crisis between 2009 and 2018, which led to widespread wage and pension cuts, as well as a decrease in public services due to underfunding.
The Greek government has been criticized for its failure to deliver justice after the deadly train crash, with many protesters expressing their anger at the lack of accountability. Christos Main, a 57-year-old musician at the Athens rally, stated, “The government hasn’t done anything to get justice. This wasn’t an accident, it was murder.”
Another protester, named Evi, shared her frustration, saying she was mourning the victims while also protesting what she believed was a government cover-up. The names of the deceased were spray-painted in red on the ground near the parliament building. In Athens’ suburbs, people of all ages gathered and carried signs reading “I have no oxygen,” referencing the last words of a woman on an emergency call during the crash. Many students wore black to symbolize mourning, while others held black balloons.
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Mitsotakis acknowledged the tragedy, promising to modernize the railway system to make it safer. He called the crash a result of “fatal human errors met with chronic state inadequacies.”
Opposition parties have accused the government of trying to suppress evidence and have called for the resignation of government officials. The Greek parliament is set to debate next week whether to form a committee to investigate potential political responsibility for the disaster. A recent poll showed that 82% of Greeks consider the train crash to be one of the most important issues in the country, with 66% expressing dissatisfaction with the ongoing investigation.
In Athens, students chanted “Text me when you get there,” a phrase used in the final messages sent by victims to their families. Litsa, a 45-year-old nurse, summed up the sentiment of many protesters, saying, “We’re here because we’re parents… tomorrow it might be our children.”