Thousands of striking workers and students organized a march in central Athens today, Wednesday, to commemorate the worst train accident in the country, demanding justice and higher wages. The 24-hour strike led to the suspension of railway services throughout Greece, disrupting urban transport in the capital. Ships were halted at ports near Athens as railway workers, hospital staff, ship and ferry crews, and school teachers walked off the job. Some demonstrators in Athens raised a black banner that read, "We do not forget, and we demand justice."
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated in a speech today, "As Prime Minister, a citizen, and a father, I share the country's grief," pledging to address the chronic deficiencies of the state. He added, "Our mission is to turn pain into action."
A year ago, a passenger train traveling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided head-on with a freight train, resulting in 57 fatalities and sparking massive protests against what many considered the result of decades of neglect in the railway sector. Churches across the country rang their bells 57 times today to honor the deceased, many of whom were young students returning home after a long weekend.
The strike was called by the ADEDY union, the largest public sector union in Greece, representing around half a million employees. However, other demonstrators, including students, joined the march, writing the names of the deceased on the ground in front of the heavily guarded parliament. Brief clashes occurred between police and demonstrators in Athens and in a similar protest in Thessaloniki.
