Greece gripped by massive strikes as suspicion and anger boil over – POLITICO

Amid an atmosphere of blame, recrimination and suspicion that the government isn’t being honest with its citizens, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis faces his biggest challenge since taking office in 2019. Given public concerns over the administration’s commitment to democracy and legal freedoms, his reaction to the protests is being watched closely.

According to opinion polls, the vast majority of Greeks believe the government is attempting to cover up what really happened, and who was really to blame, when a freight train and a passenger train packed with students crashed head-on just before midnight on Feb. 28, 2023. There is speculation ― neither proved nor entirely disproven ― that highly flammable chemicals were being transported.

It doesn’t help that two years on, a trial has yet to even begin amid constant delays in the investigation. Greeks have lost trust in their country’s judicial system, the surveys say, while the government denies any wrongdoing.

Future generations

Hundreds of thousands of people packed the central streets of Athens and outside the parliament in the main Syntagma square. A sea of people filled the streets for several blocks. The crowd was largely silent with tears in their eyes as they listened to the families of the victims.

“Justice will be served and with it plenty of oxygen will come, for us and our children, for the unfortunate souls and for future generations,” said Maria Karystianou who lost her daughter in the crash and became a leading figure in the campaign. “Our goal is the catharsis of the entire population,” she added, while pointing to protesters she said: “This is for you, my girl, and for those of us who never made it.”

The peaceful protests were interrupted by violent clashes between riot police and hooded people with petrol bombs and tear gas. Demonstrators returned to the main square of Athens on Friday afternoon.

Mitsotakis promised to continue work to improve rail safety in a post on social media on Friday.