Greek police have fired tear gas at demonstrators throwing petrol bombs after a protest marking the anniversary of the country’s worst-ever train crash turned violent.
Scores of hooded youths hurled Molotov cocktails, smashed paving stones and attempted to storm the barricades in front of parliament during clashes with police in central Athens.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking part in rallies across the country to demand justice two years after the deadly crash.
“You count profits. We count lives,” protesters chanted in Athens, while some carried black balloons and anti-government banners.
Fifty-seven people were killed when a passenger train filled with university students collided with a freight train in 2023.
The crash has become a symbol of institutional failure in the country.
Protests are being held in dozens of towns and cities across Greece as part of a general strike which has grounded flights and halted sea and train transport.
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The demonstrations have been led by the relatives of the 57 people killed and are among the largest since the country’s debt crisis more than a decade ago.
International and domestic flights were grounded as air traffic controllers joined the strike.
Seafarers, train drivers, doctors, lawyers and teachers are also taking part, with businesses and shops across the country shut.
“The government hasn’t done anything to get justice,” said Christos Main, 57, a musician at the Athens rally. “This wasn’t an accident, it was murder,” he said.
Yannis Panagopoulos, president of the General Confederation of Greek Workers, the country’s largest labour union, which has backed the strike said: “The full truth must come to light, and those responsible, no matter how high their position, must be held accountable.
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The demonstrations have been fuelled by resentment over the conservative’s government perceived inaction after the crash exposed deficiencies in the country’s transportation infrastructure.
A long-awaited report on the investigation into the crash released on Thursday concluded that human error, outdated infrastructure and major systemic failures were to blame. It found that safety gaps that caused the crash have not been filled.
A separate judicial investigation remains unfinished.
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