A protest over the Greek government’s response to the nation’s largest-ever train crash turned violent on Friday as scores of youths hurled rocks and gasoline bombs at police.
The fiery scenes took place in front of Greece’s parliament building in Athens during mass protests to mark the second anniversary of a devastating train crash in northern Greece that left 57 people dead.
Following hours of peaceful rallies in the Greek capital, youths with hammers smashed paving stones, throwing the rubble and makeshift firebombs at police who responded with tear gas.
Riot police react to ignited Molotov cocktails thrown by demonstrators at a protest near the Greek parliament, marking the second anniversary of the country’s worst railway disaster. (REUTERS/Florion Goga)
BODIES FROM GREECE TRAIN COLLISION THAT KILLED 57 RETURNED TO FAMILIES IN CLOSED CASKETS
Hundreds of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of cities across Greece on Friday in a mass mobilization, led by relatives of the victims’ families.
Clashes also broke out in Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, where a giant crowd choked the centre and people released black balloons into the sky in memory of the dead.
More than 80 people were detained and five were injured in Athens alone, authorities said.
A protester hurls a Molotov cocktail at police, during a protest marking the second anniversary of the country’s worst railway disaster. (REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki)
The protests – among the largest since the country’s debt crisis more than a decade ago – have been fueled by public resentment against the conservative government’s perceived inaction.
BODIES FROM GREECE TRAIN COLLISION THAT KILLED 57 RETURNED TO FAMILIES IN CLOSED CASKETS
Critics say that politicians should be held accountable for failures that led up to the crash, but so far only rail officials have been charged with any crimes.
“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.
In one of the biggest protests in Greece in years, public services and many private businesses were brought to a halt and people poured into the streets of cities and towns chanting “murderers” against what they say is the state’s role in the disaster. The government denies wrongdoing.
Rail unions say the network has been poorly maintained despite rail service upgrades to provide faster trains in recent years.
The 2023 train…
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