[Trending News] Two years of rage: violent protests in Greece on the anniversary of a deadly train accident

It was 23:18 of February 28, 2023exactly two years ago: Two trains collided south of the Tempi Valleyin the Tesalia region, Greece. The collision between the interity 62 passenger train and a cargo train He went out with 57 dead people and 180 wounds. Was The worst rail disaster in the history of Greece. The last words of one of the victims, the 23 -year -old Fontzeska Beza –“I don't have oxygen”– They have become a motto for the Greeks.

On the second anniversary of the tragedy, on Friday, February 28, Thousands of protesters marched by 250 locations in Greece to demand clarification of the incident. Two years later, the cause is still clear and the Greeks ask for explanations. The area of the central Syntagma square and the adjacent streets, in the heart of Athens, crowded with protesters on the morning of February 28, show the magnitude of what is already considered the largest manifestation in Greece of the last 40 years. More than 800,000 people marched through the center of Athens, According to the organizers. “We don't forget we don't forgive,” It was read in the banner of a student association.

The protests included a 24 -hour general strike that paralyzed air and sea traffic. Many shops closed, at least for a few hours. Even outside Greece there were demonstrations: Greeks residing in more than 50 cities around the world joined the protest.

More than 70 % of the Greeks believe that the government hides something

Two years later, the families of the victims and the Greek society are still waiting for answers. According to recent surveys, Between 70% and 80% of respondents believe that the Greek government is trying to cover up something. The authorities, for example, did not secure the recordings of the surveillance cameras, did not perform autopsies and the debris of the accident were quickly removed.

This leaves some key questions without response: How could tragedy happen? Who ignored security protocols? Was it a human mistake of workers without the necessary experience for the position, perhaps assigned by political connections? The infrastructure of security was obsolete or damaged And did not modernized in time? Could a similar accident happen again, today, tomorrow or next week? Discontent and anger grow to the rhythm that inequalities grow in Greece, the appropriation of the institutions and impunity of Parliament and the judicial system.

The European Commission had detected serious deficiencies

Already in the spring of 2021, The European Commission had detected serious deficiencies in railway security systems in Greece and opened a procedure against the country for “breach of the 2016/798 Directive on Railway Security.” Between 2019 and 2020, the European Data Journalism Network analyzed security in the Greek rail network through an investigation carried out by Miir. The New York Times resumed the work of Miir after the Tempi accident.

In theory, Greece had adopted the directive through an approved law by the Mitsotakis government in autumn 2019. However, the Commission questioned several aspects in which the Greek law did not comply with the EU guidelines, including the way in which rail accidents must be investigated. In turn, a few months before the Tempi accident, the European Prosecutor's Office had initiated investigation into possible crimes related to the execution of contracts for the modernization of railway security systems in Greece.

The Machinist's recordings were altered

To date, Not even the defective railway signal caused by the 2019 accident has been repaired, and investments in security technology financed with EU funds advance with great delay.

Protesters launch Molotov and stones cocktails against riot police officers during clashes against Parliament (EFE/EPA Alexandros VLachosefe).

Despite the time elapsed, No judicial process for tragedy has been opened. The public perception is that the authorities have not been transparent and, in fact, they have tried to interfere with the investigations, showing more interest in managing the political consequences of the accident than in discovering the truth. However, the determination and commitment of the relatives of the victims have kept the demand for justice alive. In March 2024, it was discovered that the recordings of The conversations between the station chief and the machinists the night of the accident had been altered, Something that later admitted the general director of OSE, the Greek railway company.

In recent weeks, the dissemination of New audio recordings has further fueled citizen indignation. The final report of the technical expert of the families of the victims, published in January 2025, included the unprecedented recording of a series of dialogues of the passengers of the second car of Interity 62, many of whom died suffocated in a matter of minutes.

On January 29, Prime Minister Mitsotakis granted an interview in which It declared “shocked” by the new recordings and radically changed its version: “I lean before Mrs. Karistianou [presidenta de la asociación de víctimas]. If it is discovered that the cargo train transported a suspicious load, the company must be considered responsible, Both criminal and politically. “Ten days after the Mitsotakis interview, the recordings of the cargo train involved in the accident finally came to light.

The opposition also suspects that it has been attempted to cover up the case and has demanded the resignation of the government. Next week, Parliament will discuss the creation of a commission that investigates the possible political responsibility in the tragedy. Two years later, in Athens, relatives chanted: “Write me when you arrive”, The last message that family and friends sent to the victims.