Greece paralyzed by mass protests over rail tragedy anniversary
Greece came to a standstill due to a general strike and mass protests. Train and air connections were cancelled. Riots broke out in Athens. The police used tear gas and stun grenades.
On Friday, demonstrations in solidarity with the families of the victims of the rail tragedy in Tempe two years ago, in which 57 people died, are taking place in hundreds of cities and smaller towns in Greece and abroad. People are dissatisfied with the state's actions regarding the largest rail disaster in the country's history.
As a result of the protests, public transport was paralysed. Many train and bus connections were suspended, and airports cancelled numerous flights.
Riots in Athens
About 300,000 people gathered in downtown Athens on Friday. Videos in the media show clashes between protesters and the police. The services are defending access to government buildings. Demonstrators are throwing petrol bombs and stones.
Protesters threw petrol bombs onto the parliament grounds and set a guard booth on fire. "I have no oxygen," "I can't breathe," chanted the crowd.
The police cleared the square in front of the parliament of attackers, but the riots spread to surrounding streets. Hooded individuals also attacked the police with petrol bombs in Thessaloniki.
The protests are a result of public dissatisfaction with the government's policies, which many citizens believe do not meet their expectations. The strikers are demanding changes in economic policy and improvements in working conditions.
Dr Stella Ladi from Panteion University said Friday's demonstrations also expressed fatigue and dissatisfaction due to rising prices, life's difficulties, and the uncertainties of our times.
She noted that the influence of far-right groups has grown around the anniversary of the tragedy, while the far-left—historically stronger in Greece—has had a comparatively more minor presence. The protests, she explained, have been tied to broader skepticism toward state institutions and their effectiveness. Ladi added that many demonstrators may not even realize that their actions have inadvertently amplified far-right voices.
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