Mass protests in Greece

On Sunday, 26 January, residents of nearly 100 Greek cities took to the streets demanding punishment for those responsible for the railway disaster that occurred in Tempi in March 2023. The collision between two trains claimed the lives of 57 people.

According to Ekathimerini, one of the largest actions was a demonstration at Syntagma Square in Athens. Thousands of people filled the capital's central square, demanding justice and transparency in the investigation into the tragedy. Protests under the slogan «Я не могу дышать» (I can't breathe) took place in 97 Greek cities and 13 settlements abroad. Large rallies were recorded in Thessaloniki, Larissa, Patras, Crete, and other regions.

By midday, the square in front of the parliament building in Athens was completely filled. Although the protests were largely peaceful, the crowd occasionally chanted: «Убийцы! Убийцы!» (Murderers! Murderers!). The intensity of emotions reached such a level that one woman in the crowd fainted. The police were unprepared for such a large-scale event, which led to significant traffic congestion even far from the city centre.

Later, around 14:00, a tear gas grenade was used to disperse part of the protesters following local clashes.

During the action, Maria Karistyanu, a representative of the Association of Relatives of the Victims of Tempi, voiced the demonstrators' main demands: «Мы хотим добиться, чтобы ни одно преступление не осталось безнаказанным» (We want to ensure that no crime goes unpunished).

Unanswered questions

Meanwhile, the tragedy remains shrouded in many unresolved circumstances. As Reuters reports, almost two years after the accident, the cause of death for some of the victims remains unknown. The families of the deceased claim that authorities have attempted to conceal key evidence.

«Прошло два года, но никто не понес наказания, ни один человек не оказался в тюрьме» (Two years have passed, but no one has been punished, no one has been put in prison), said Elias Papangelis, who lost his 18-year-old daughter in the accident, to the gathered crowd.

Further outrage among protesters was caused by the recent nomination of Konstantinos Tassoulas, the former speaker of the parliament, for the post of country president. Relatives of the victims are convinced that under his leadership, parliament did not take sufficient measures to investigate the political responsibility for the disaster.

The situation was also exacerbated by the publication of an audio recording indicating that around 30 of the 57 victims could have survived the collision. However, they later died from poisoning by combustion products, suffocation, or burns, as the accident triggered a massive explosion and fire.