Violent Clashes Erupt in Athens Amid Protests Over 2023 Train Disaster

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Violent clashes broke out in central Athens on Wednesday night as protesters, angered by the fatal 2023 train crash, clashed with riot police. The fresh wave of unrest followed nationwide demonstrations demanding accountability for the railway disaster that killed 57 people, mostly students.

As protests grew outside Greece’s parliament, demonstrators threw gasoline bombs and fireworks at the police. The riot police responded with tear gas and baton charges. No immediate reports of injuries or arrests were available at the time.

The protests were ignited after opposition parties introduced a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right government. This came after the second anniversary of the deadly collision near the Tempe Gorge in central Greece, which claimed the lives of 57 people and injured dozens more.

The fatal crash, which occurred on February 28, 2023, involved a collision between a passenger train and a freight train, raising concerns over Greece’s outdated rail infrastructure. The crash highlighted significant deficiencies in the country’s transport system and triggered outrage, particularly among the victims' families.

Despite growing calls for accountability, only rail officials have faced charges, and no trial has yet been conducted. In the wake of the anniversary, families of the victims led protests, demanding that political leaders be held responsible for the systemic failures that led to the crash.

Earlier in the week, a general strike and large-scale protests took place, some of which turned violent.

The no-confidence motion was spearheaded by the main opposition Socialist party and supported by three smaller left-wing parties. However, the motion is unlikely to succeed, as Mitsotakis' government holds a comfortable majority in the 300-member parliament, with 156 seats. A vote on the motion is expected late on Friday.

In a statement on Wednesday, Socialist party leader Nikos Androulakis accused the government of protecting officials from the consequences of the disaster. "Why do you remain so unrepentant, continuing down this road of insults and arrogance?" Androulakis asked lawmakers.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis, however, dismissed the censure motion as a political stunt. He described the opposition's efforts as a response to declining support in opinion polls. "It’s not the truth that you are interested in. But you have collapsed in opinion polls and are looking for a reason to exist," Mitsotakis told parliament.

A long-awaited report on the crash, released last week, pointed to human error, outdated infrastructure, and systemic failures as key factors behind the disaster. A separate judicial investigation is still ongoing, with the public and victims' families continuing to demand justice.