Tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in the protests and strikes as Greece celebrates the second anniversary of its fatal train crash.
With experts attributing disasters to monitoring and major systematic failures, organizers vowed that Friday's demonstration would be on a scale that will not be seen for years to match industrial action.
Nearly every student, almost every student, was killed, and dozens more were injured when a freight locomotive in the Tempe Valley and an intercity passenger train collided on February 28, 2023. It was the worst railway accident in Greek history.
Petros Constantine, a well-known leftist activist, said: Citizens feel deceived. They want answers, want justice, and want to support the families of the victims. Everyone believes this will become the biggest show of people's power in this country in decades. ”
On the eve of the protest, Nikos Andrakis, leader of the Pasok party, the main opposition in Greece, accused the government of “deceiving” the Greek people of “doing everything they can to hide their political responsibility.”
He filed an allegation he is unsure about with the government next week, saying he will put pressure on Mitotakis.
Since he first took office in July 2019, former banker Mitotakis has faced such unrest. Public outrage over the response to the crash – in particular, the decision to quickly clean up the site and remove debris containing important evidence and human remains – is exacerbated by a perceived, growing sense of government cover-up.
Within days of the crash, in a move that has not yet been fully explained, Greek authorities quickly covered the gravel and solidified the area.
Accusations of political interference in the investigation have been exacerbated by the pace of the ice age where justice met. The trial had not yet been held, and government officials were not facing any condemnation or were not responsible for the tragedy.
A 178-page report released Thursday by an independent commission on investigations, most of the victims died as a result of a shocking crash, but initially accusing the station master of accidentally placing two trains on the same truck, finding that seven people were incinerated in a massive explosion that followed seven. The report cited the “possible existence” of “unknown fuels” on the ground. Freight trains carry highly flammable illegal substances, which find research that boosts allegations already expressed by investigators hired by the victim's family.
In a report commissioned by a relative, experts introduced no reports of explosive chemicals on freight trains. This is a reflection of some EU diplomats.
Until recently, Mitsotakis was proud of dealing with crisis. This is a talent that helped to strengthen a sense of political stability.
However, analysts told the Guardian that it has proven difficult to put public sentiment now, as passions ran so high amid increasingly unpredictable and toxic political climate. One opinion poll released by the MRB revealed that 81.1% of respondents do not believe the government has done it well. I'll let light flow It reflects the growing distrust in public and judiciary about tragedy.
“It's been six years since Mitotakis has faced such enormous social opposition,” said political commentator Maria Karakliomi. “For the first time, we've seen people mobilize in ways they haven't done in years. What happens next is unpredictable.”
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She said the rage of the crash has engulfed poor standards of living and public services into broader concerns. “It went beyond Tempe and swelled into a much bigger crisis,” she said.
She said she was unable to deal with the fallout created by the tragedy, “as if the government was paralyzed.” “For example, plans for a modern railway system have not yet been conceived, making the Greeks even more angry.”
The protests will take place in 200 towns and cities across the country. Diaspora communities from Canada to Australia have announced similar demonstrations with signs of anger spurred by the disaster. The country's civil protection minister predicted that more than 5,000 police and other security officials would be sent out in downtown Athens alone “to ensure the safety of the protests.” An estimated 120,000 people were crammed into the capital's main squares in January, when organizers held previous protests with unexpected displays of anger over the disaster.
“The tragedy of Tempe is a national drama that should unite our society under a common demand: the demand for truth and justice,” Mitotakis told the Cabinet on Wednesday, acknowledging the depth of the senses that Clash created.
However, he also warned of the risk that the protest would be “weaponized” to destabilize the country.
“Some people want to turn this collective mourning into a new sector opportunity,” he said, citing the “terrifying message” circulating on the internet. “We have a duty to prevent questions about internal stability and normalcy in our country. Those who view Friday as a turning point for violent upheavals will find us standing against it.”
