Massive crowds gathered in Athens and cities throughout Greece on Saturday, commemorating the one-year anniversary of the nation’s most devastating railway tragedy while calling for accountability before criminal proceedings begin next month.
Transportation across the country ground to a standstill as workers abandoned their posts to participate in the demonstrations. Outside Greece’s parliament building, demonstrators placed flowers and displayed signs calling for “Justice,” while the names of all 57 victims — primarily students — were spray-painted in red letters on the pavement.
The tragedy occurred when a passenger train struck a freight train in a head-on collision at Tempi in Greece’s central region.
This catastrophe has emerged as a powerful representation of governmental failures, highlighting safety oversights and decades of railway infrastructure abandonment.
Driven by widespread distrust of political leaders, who enjoy broad legal immunity under Greek law, the previous year’s widespread demonstrations represented the largest public protests in recent memory.
Law enforcement deployed thousands of officers throughout Athens on Saturday. Similar rallies took place in other countries as well.
“We seek one thing: Justice,” said Pavlos Aslanidis, head of the victims’ relatives association in a speech.
Following the completion of a judicial review this year, numerous non-political defendants will face court proceedings beginning March 23, facing accusations that include causing deaths through traffic violations, negligent homicide, and inflicting bodily injury.
Demonstrators are demanding systemic changes and political responsibility. “It wasn’t an accident, it was murder,” declared one protest sign in Athens.
Investigations revealed that a European Union co-financed initiative to implement safety technology began in 2014 but remained significantly delayed by 2023. Family members have also alleged that officials attempted to conceal evidence.
The center-right administration, which rejects any misconduct allegations, maintains that legal proceedings will illuminate the truth and has committed to comprehensive railway system overhaul by 2027.
