Greeks are calling for accountability after dozens have been killed within the nation’s deadliest rail catastrophe.
Tens of 1000's of individuals have rallied in Athens and cities throughout Greece to demand accountability following the deaths of 57 individuals final week within the nation’s worst practice catastrophe.
Labour unions and pupil associations organised the demonstrations on Wednesday, whereas strikes halted ferries to the islands and public transportation providers in Athens, the place a minimum of 30,000 individuals took to the streets.
Demonstrators within the capital waved indicators studying “it’s not an accident, it’s a criminal offense” and “it may have been any of us on that practice”.
Greater than 20,000 joined rallies in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest metropolis, the place clashes broke out when a number of dozen youths challenged a police cordon. Twelve college students from the town’s college have been among the many useless in final week’s head-on crash between two trains.
Police fired tear gasoline within the southern metropolis of Patras, the place a municipal band earlier performed music from a funeral march whereas main the demonstration.
Within the central metropolis of Larissa, close to the scene of the practice collision, college students holding black balloons chanted “No to income over our lives!”
The February 28 crash has stirred public outrage over the crumbling state of the Greek rail community, and putting staff say years of neglect, underinvestment and understaffing – a legacy of Greece’s decade-long debt disaster – are responsible.
Lots of the estimated 350 individuals on board an intercity passenger practice that collided head-on with a freight practice whereas travelling on the identical monitor have been college college students heading to the northern metropolis of Thessaloniki from Athens after a protracted public vacation weekend.
The catastrophe has sparked protests throughout Greece with greater than 10,000 individuals rallying in Athens on Sunday, releasing a whole lot of black balloons into the sky.
Rail staff have staged rolling, 24-hour strikes since Thursday, bringing the community to a halt. They are saying their calls for for the advance of security protocols have gone unheard for years.
ADEDY, the umbrella union representing a whole lot of 1000's of public sector staff, has additionally known as for a 24-hour walkout.
“We are going to impose protected railways in order that nobody will ever expertise the tragic accident at Tempi ever once more,” the primary railway staff’ union stated in a press release.
“We've an obligation in the direction of our fellow people and our colleagues who have been misplaced within the tragic accident.”
Different transport staff went on strike in solidarity, disrupting metro, tram and bus providers within the capital, Athens. Ships additionally remained docked at ports as seamen participated within the labour motion.
Reporting from Athens, Al Jazeera’s John Psaropoulos stated that a press convention by officers on Wednesday morning had raised “extra questions than solutions” and can doubtless make “the households of the victims even angrier”.
“Initially, we’ve discovered that a few of the automated techniques that ought to have been in place all through the Greek community, have been the truth is operational on the evening of the accident in Larissa station,” stated Psaropoulos.
He defined that an automatic optimum route choice for the practice would have been potential, however was not used.
“Secondly, it additionally doesn’t reply why two further station masters who ought to have been on obligation till 11pm took off at 10pm with out permission. Thirdly, it doesn't reply why the practice was about quarter-hour late in leaving,” he added, explaining how all this stuff contributed to the collision.
“It suggests huge issues within the operation and coaching of personnel,” stated Psaropoulos.
Greece bought its state-owned railway operator, now known as Hellenic Prepare, underneath its worldwide bailout programme in 2017 to Italy’s state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.
The federal government has blamed human error for the crash. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who faces an election this 12 months, apologised on Sunday, acknowledging many years of neglect may have contributed to the catastrophe.
Hours after the crash, his transport minister resigned. Mitsotakis handed the portfolio to one in every of his closest aides, state minister George Gerapetritis.
On Wednesday, Gerapetritis was anticipated to satisfy transport consultants from the European Fee, which has promised help.
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