By Canadian Press

Violent protests in Athens on rail crash anniversary as frustration over system failures boils over

Feb 28, 2025 | 5:50 AM

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Protesters hurling Molotov cocktails and smashing paving stones clashed with riot police firing volleys of tear gas and stun grenades in central Athens Friday, as tens of thousands of people took to the streets of cities across Greece to mark the second anniversary of a devastating train crash that has become a symbol of institutional failure.

Paramedics were seen carrying at least one protester away from the scene of violent clashes near the capital’s central Syntagma Square, where a rally was taking place to to demand justice for the 57 people killed on Feb. 28, 2023, when a passenger train collided head-on with a freight train.

Friday’s protests, among the largest since Greece’s debt crisis a decade ago, have been fueled by public resentment against the conservative government’s perceived inaction.

The protests and a general strike were part of a mass mobilization, led by relatives of the 57 people killed. Critics say that politicians should be held accountable for failures that led up to the crash, but so far only rail officials have been charged with any crimes.

The disaster in Tempe — the worst railway accident in Greece’s history — left dozens injured and exposed deficiencies in transportation infrastructure.

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“The full truth must come to light, and those responsible, no matter how high their position, must be held accountable,” said Yannis Panagopoulos, president of the General Confederation of Greek Workers, the country’s largest labor union, which has backed Friday’s strike.

Protests and disruption across the country

Flights and rail services have been canceled, ferries halted and public transportation across the country has been severely disrupted. Private businesses and public services have also been affected, with many stores in Athens closed, leaving messages of solidarity for the victims’ families in front windows.

Tens of thousands gathered Friday in front of Parliament, while demonstrations were planned in more than 300 cities and towns in Greece and abroad. Protesters in Athens, chanting “You count profits. We count lives,” carried black balloons and anti-government banners and blared aerosol horns. Athens municipal worker Costas Reintzopoulos said the rail crash had highlighted longstanding demands for safer working conditions. Eleven of the people who died at the Tempe disaster were railway employees. “Every day, there is a demand to know the truth about what happened, and every day there is demand to for better safety measures in the workplace. That is a key reason why this remains relevant,” he said. “We don’t want to mourn more dead people, who leave in the morning to go to work and we don’t know if they’ll come back.”

More than 5,000 police officers are being deployed in the capital to manage crowds and potential unrest.

Memorial services will be held at Orthodox churches in Athens for the victims, who included many university students returning from a long weekend.

Their families have urged protesters to keep the focus on remembrance rather than politics.

“This day is one of remembrance, respect and reflection,” an association representing the families said in a statement. “It is dedicated to those who were unjustly lost, to the grieving families, and to the pursuit of justice that remains unresolved.”

Yet the protests have created a politically precarious moment for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government.

His conservatives maintain a strong lead in the polls, but public dissatisfaction over the Tempe disaster has led to surging support for anti-establishment parties on both the left and right. Opposition leaders, who are struggling to gain traction, are weighing whether to put forward a censure motion. Mitsotakis promised to continue work to improve rail safety, adding: “Every Greek participates in this mourning, united under the common demand for truth.”

Human error and systemic failures blamed for the Tempe crash

The mountainous country is largely road-reliant and the nation’s railway system is centered around a single route between Athens and the second-largest city, Thessaloniki, a fact that made the collision harder for many to understand.

A long-awaited report on the investigation into the Tempe crash, released Thursday, blamed human error, outdated infrastructure and major systemic failures for the head-on collision.

The aftermath was marked by scenes of chaos, with surviving passengers describing tumbling carriages, fires and smashed windows as they scrambled to escape.

It was followed by the gruesome task of victim recovery and identification as many bodies were severely burned or dismembered. Funerals were held across numerous communities throughout Greece, many streamed or broadcast live, turning private grief into a shared national experience.

Hours after the collision, Maria Krystianou rushed to the scene of the tragedy to search for her missing daughter, 21-year-old Maria-Thomai, as the train cars still smoldered.

After a two-day wait, Maria-Thomai’s death was finally confirmed with a DNA match.

Krystianou, a 52-year-old pediatrician, has since become a leading figure in the campaign to hold politicians to account for the crash. This week she publicly thanked unions and associations that joined the protests, including doctors at public hospitals, and lawyers and judges who will hold a minute’s silence in courts Friday. “For those of us who had our children and loved ones on that train, a part of us remains with them and will never return. The unrelenting pain and the unimaginable reality are with us forever,” Krystianou told a crowd outside parliament. Pointing to the protesters, she added: “This is for you, my girl, and for those of us who never made it.” ___ Associated Press journalists Lefteris Pitarakis and Theodora Tongas contributed.

Derek Gatopoulos And Elena Becatoros, The Associated Press