Protests in Greece have not stopped. Thousands of citizens gathered in front of Parliament in Athens on Friday evening to demand justice in connection with the tragic train accident in Tempi, where 57 people lost their lives on February 28, 2023.
Protesters, including victims' families, students and ordinary citizens, demanded transparency and accountability for the shortcomings in the railway infrastructure that led to the fatal accident.
They held banners with messages such as "We want justice" and "Our lives have value," emphasizing the need for improvements in public transportation safety.
During the protest, a group of masked individuals clashed with police forces, throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at them. Police responded with tear gas to disperse the crowd. The clashes spread to the streets around Syntagma Square, leading to the arrest of dozens of people and the injury of several others.
Similar protests took place in other cities in Greece, including Thessaloniki, where similar incidents involving the use of Molotov cocktails and the setting up of barricades were reported. Public transport was disrupted in many areas, while flights and rail services were cancelled.
The country's main unions declared a general strike, demanding improvements in infrastructure safety and accountability from the authorities.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised to modernize the rail network and improve safety measures to avoid similar tragedies in the future. However, the public remains dissatisfied with the pace of reforms and the lack of political accountability for the accident, while the opposition is considering a no-confidence motion against the government.
Relatives of victims, such as Maria Karystianou, who lost her 21-year-old daughter in the accident, have been at the forefront of the protests, demanding justice and accountability. She thanked the unions and associations that joined the protest, including doctors at public hospitals and lawyers who held a minute of silence in the courts.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the accident continues, with major charges brought against railway officials. The public is demanding that politicians also be held accountable for the systemic failures that led to the Tempe tragedy. The recent protests show deep anger and demand for radical changes to the transport system and government accountability. (A2 Televizion)
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