Tempi train crash protests explained

2023 Tempi train crash protest
Image Alt:Photo of Greek university students marching down a street holding a banner
Date:1 March 2023 - 22 March 2023 (21 Days)
Place:Greece
Causes:Tempi train crash, death of 57 people due to government failures
Methods:Protests, demonstrations, strikes
Howmany3:est. 2,500,000 (not including school students)[1]

After the collision of two trains near Tempi, Greece[2] on 28 February 2023, protests broke out across Greece. Millions of people participated in vigils, protests, or riots in response to the perceived lack of safety measures.[3] [4] [5] Railway unions declared strikes in protest of Greece's government failing to modernize the rail system.[6] [7] The protests are some of the largest in Greek history, comparable in size to those that took place in 2011 during the height of the Greek financial crisis.[8]

Timeline

On 1 March 2023, the first protests broke out in Athens and Thessaloniki. At the end of the Athens protest, when the demonstrators reached the Hellenic Train headquarters, fights broke out, with the police using tear gas against the crowd.[9] [10]

On 2 March and in response to both the tragedy and the growing dissatisfaction of the industry in general, the Panhellenic Union of Railway Personnel walked out in protest of working conditions and the lack of modernization of the railway network, beginning their strike, despite the fact that the STASY subway workers union had called off the planned strike in the Athens subway out of respect for the victims of the previous day.[11] New protests were called in Athens and Thessaloniki on 2[12] and 3 March,[13] with new clashes between the protesters and the police on 3 March.[14]

On 5 March, protests in several cities and towns of Greece occurred. The protest in Athens, with a participation of 10,000 people according to the police,[15] was attacked by the police. Videos include police officers falling with motorcycles into the crowd, hitting and using teargas against peaceful protestors.[16] Solidarity protests occurred in other European cities, including Berlin and Copenhagen.[17]

On 7 March, students walked out of class, closing many schools in Thessaloniki, forcing schools to move to online classes via Webex for a couple of days. In Athens, students left 57 empty chairs outside the ministry of transport.[18]

The Confederation of Public Servants of Greece (ADEDY) called a 24-hour general strike for 8 March 2023. Coinciding with feminist demonstrations for the International Women's Day, large protests happened throughout Greece. In Thessaloniki, an estimated 60,000 people participated in the afternoon protest and 25,000 in the evening feminist march.[19]

Several smaller scale protests in various neighborhoods of Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras took place on Saturday 11 March.[20] New demonstrations occurred on 12 March.[21]

The General Confederation of Greek Workers, called a 24-hour general strike on 16 March, which turned into a demonstration of 30,000 people in Athens (according to the police)[22] and several smaller protests in other cities and towns. The protest in Athens, despite being peaceful, was attacked by the police.[23] There were cases of police brutality even against junior high school students.[24]

References

  1. Web site: 2023-03-20 . Public Issue: 2,5 εκατ. πολίτες σε απεργίες και διαδηλώσεις για τα Τέμπη- Ρεκόρ 12ετίας LiFO . 2023-03-21 . www.lifo.gr . el.
  2. News: LIFO.gr . LIFO . Tempe train collision: A total of 354 on board the two trains . 12 March 2023 . 1 March 2023.
  3. Web site: Gatopoulos . Derek . 3 March 2023 . Thousands march in Greece as anger builds over train deaths . 3 March 2023 . . en.
  4. Web site: 2023-03-03 . Greek unions protest over rail safety following train crash disaster . 2023-03-03 . . en.
  5. News: Beake . Nick . Davies . Alys . 1 March 2023 . Greece train crash: Angry protests erupt after disaster . . Larissa and London . live . 1 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230302054200/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64820085 . 2 March 2023.
  6. News: 1 March 2023 . Strike action on metro suspended due to deadly train crash . . live . 1 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230301170419/https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1205686/strike-action-on-metro-suspended-due-to-deadly-train-crash/ . 1 March 2023.
  7. News: 2 March 2023 . Greek rail workers strike over safety concerns as death toll in train tragedy tops 50 . . live . 2 March 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230302062124/https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20230302-greece-seeks-answers-following-deadly-train-collision . 2 March 2023.
  8. Web site: 2023-03-20 . Public Issue: 2,5 εκατ. πολίτες σε απεργίες και διαδηλώσεις για τα Τέμπη- Ρεκόρ 12ετίας LiFO . 2023-03-21 . www.lifo.gr . el.
  9. Web site: Βίντεο από την καταστολή των διαδηλωτών - Νέες συγκεντρώσεις σήμερα . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 2 March 2023 . el-GR.
  10. News: 2 March 2023 . Video: Death toll of Greece train collision rises to 43 CNN . https://web.archive.org/web/20230302220558/https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/03/02/greece-train-collision-anger-human-error-giokos-ovn-intl-hnk-vpx.cnn . 18 March 2023. 2023-03-02 .
  11. News: Greek unions protest over rail safety following train crash disaster Euronews . 18 March 2023 . 3 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230303075212/https://www.euronews.com/2023/03/03/greek-unions-protest-over-rail-safety-following-train-crash-disaster . 2023-03-03 .
  12. Web site: «Το αίμα των νεκρών θα σε κυνηγά» - Ποτάμι οργής στην Αθήνα . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 2 March 2023 . el-GR.
  13. Web site: Κριεμπάρδη . Γεωργία . 2023-03-03 . Συνεχίζονται οι συγκεντρώσεις διαμαρτυρίας στη χώρα - Στα Προπύλαια στις 18.30 το κάλεσμα για Αθήνα . 2023-03-28 . The Press Project - Ειδήσεις, Αναλύσεις, Ραδιόφωνο, Τηλεόραση . el.
  14. Web site: Χημικά και βία από τα ΜΑΤ - Διαλύουν τη συγκέντρωση οργής και πένθους . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . el-GR.
  15. Web site: "Οι ιδιωτικοποιήσεις δολοφονούν" . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 5 March 2023 . el-GR.
  16. Web site: Ντοκουμέντα από τα δολοφονικά χτυπήματα της ΕΛ.ΑΣ. στη διαδήλωση . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 6 March 2023 . el-GR.
  17. Web site: Διαδηλώσεις από την Κρήτη ώς τη Δανία . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 7 March 2023 . el-GR.
  18. Web site: Πενήντα επτά άδειες καρέκλες έξω από το υπουργείο Μεταφορών . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 7 March 2023 . el-GR.
  19. Web site: Ιστορικές συγκεντρώσεις στη Θεσσαλονίκη . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 8 March 2023 . el-GR.
  20. Web site: Με ηχηρή φωνή για το έγκλημα στα Τέμπη οι πορείες γειτονιές . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . el-GR.
  21. Web site: Ποτάμι οργής στους δρόμους της χώρας για το έγκλημα στα Τέμπη . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 12 March 2023 . el-GR.
  22. Web site: Η ΕΛ.ΑΣ. προκαλεί, παρά τα εξοργιστικά ντοκουμέντα αστυνομικής βίας . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 16 March 2023 . el-GR.
  23. Web site: Αστυνομική επίθεση -ξανά- σε ειρηνικούς διαδηλωτές . 2023-03-28 . Η Εφημερίδα των Συντακτών . 16 March 2023 . el-GR.
  24. Web site: 2012-02-18 . Χημικά και ξύλο σε μαθητές γυμνασίου! . 2023-03-28 . www.dimokratia.gr . el.

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