Protests rage in Greece on anniversary of Tempi crash

Protest in Thessaloniki, Greece, on Friday (Photo: X/@ReviewOfAuth)

Greece ground to a halt on Friday as anger over the Tempi train crash exploded. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets and workers staged a general strike on the two year anniversary of the crash.

On 28 February 2023, a passenger train collided with a cargo train killing 57 people.

Demonstrations are being held in more than 300 cities and towns across Greece. In solidarity with the strikes, people in universities and schools have started occupations—including at the University of Thessaloniki, where many of the victims of the crash studied.

Photographs show highstreets of shuttered shops with local business joining the general strike. The scenes of protests have been described as an unprecedented and continuous flow of people for hours.

Sit-ins, banner drops and marches are all being used to show people’s anger towards the state.

Thousands of protesters in Syntagma Square in Athens, where the Greek parliament building is, have been met with riot police firing teargas and water cannons at the crowds. At least 29 people have been hospitalised.

Over the last two years, the government has callously covered up the crash. It has conducted a botched investigation, tampered evidence and lied about the contents of the cargo train.

Before proper forensic investigation could take place, government officials approved the removal of vast amounts of material from the crash, including victim’s bodies. Leaked government documents show that the clear up was prioritised over legal and investigative obligations.

Rail workers tried to alert bosses that there were clear safety issues before the crash. They claimed accidents were inevitable up until three weeks before the crash—but the government silenced unions.

The government’s complicity in the Tempi crash has become symbolic of the systematic failures of the Greek state.

Ahead of Friday’s action the Greek Socialist Workers Party (SEK) issued a statement, demanding an end to a system that puts profit above human lives. SEK wants workers’ control of the railways and transparency from the government and rail companies regarding the disaster.

It rightly see the strikes as “building the power of our class to put our lives before profit”.

The New Democratic (ND) government is floundering. It has claimed that “absolute transport safety does not exist anywhere’’. It claims it isn’t their place to answer questions as that would ‘‘put their hand in the fire’’ as an investigation is ongoing.

The state has arrested at least 120 people so far, primarily for a raid on the offices of Hellenic Train, the operator behind the Tempi crash.

Evdokia Tsagkli, a survivor of the crash, has publicly slammed the police for disrupting their peaceful protests. The protests must continue “because we can’t breathe a sigh of relief from corruption, hypocrisy and constant, offensive lies”.

People in Greece are raging at their government. That anger must also be directed towards the same government that slashes education and healthcare, pushes racism, homophobia and transphobia and backs Israel’s genocide in Palestine.

Solidarity protest in London 

Around 3,000 people gathered outside the Greek embassy in London on Friday night in solidarity with the nationwide strikes and protests across Greece.

Protests chanted, “Down with New Democracy, it was not an accident it was murder,” and called on the Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to resign.

One protester, Eleni, told Socialist Worker, “I just want to see justice. The government mismanaged everything, purposefully mismanaged everything. Fifty seven lives were lost and not a single person has been held responsible. 

“The government should be fulfilling their duty to us—we want explanations.’’

She recalled how the government removed debris from the crash and victim’s remains with no care for the forensic processes. 

The protest was incredibly young, reflecting the amount of young people that had to leave Greece for work elsewhere after the financial crash. 

There were speeches from the family and friends of victims, Greek Solidarity UK, and UCU union activists. 

A Serbian activist also spoke, comparing the Tempi disaster with the recent Novi Sad railway station collapse, which were both caused by privatisation and corruption. She spoke about the radical response of students and workers in Serbia with what has happened in Greece this week. 

She said that this is ‘’a fight for basic human rights and justice, rule of law and democracy.”