‘You Count Profits, We Count Lives’: Thousands Protest Across Greece Over Deadly Train Crash- wna24

Athens: Thousands of youths hurled rocks and gasoline bombs at police in from of Greece’s parliament building on Friday during a massive mass protests to mark the the second anniversary of a devastating train crash in northern Greece.

The protests, among the largest since the debt crisis over a decade ago, are driven by public anger at the conservative government’s inaction.

After hours of peaceful rallies in the Athens, youths with hammers smashed paving stones, throwing the rubble and makeshift firebombs at police who responded with tear gas. Thousands of protesters flooded the streets of cities across Greece Friday in a mass mobilization, led by relatives of the 57 people killed.

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.

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The February 28, 2023, disaster in Tempe — where a passenger train collided head-on with an oncoming freight train — was Greece’s worst railway accident. The fiery crash also left dozens injured and exposed deficiencies in the country’s transportation infrastructure.

“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.

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. 

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.