Rage in Greece as second anniversary of train disaster prompts mass protests

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Rage in Greece as second anniversary of train disaster prompts mass protests

The Guardian
Helena Smith in Athens
28 Feb 2025

Two years to the day since 57 people died and dozens were injured in Greece’s worst train crash in history, hundreds of thousands of protesters filled plazas around the country and a general strike paralysed the transport network in an outpouring of anger over the government’s handling of the tragedy.

By 11am on Friday, more than 100,000 people had already gathered in Syntagma Square in Athens. Thousands who could not get to the area due to packed metro trains instead vented their anger outside stations in the capital’s suburbs.

The huge crowds in Athens and elsewhere reflected multiple opinion polls indicating that most Greeks believed officials concealed vital evidence after the crash, slowing down an investigation that is still incomplete.

“I think all of us wanted to say: ‘You have to take responsibility,’” said 27-year-old Paris Economou, a drama student who attended the Athens demonstration.

“Young people like me needlessly lost their lives,” he said. “And it boils down to this: either the state is so inadequate it can’t run a modern railway system, or we should believe the conspiracy theories and everything they say about a cover-up. One or the other is true.”

(more)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/28/rage-in-greece-as-second-anniversary-of-train-disaster-prompts-mass-protests

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28/2/23- 57 people died on a train collision. Safety systems were paid for but never installed.
One train carried illegal contaminated fuel. Government destroyed evidence.
Justice system doesn't investigate... today, 2 years later, more than 1 million Greeks demanded justice.