ATHENS – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis issued a foreboding warning on Wednesday, setting a tense tone as Greece prepares to commemorate the second anniversary of a tragic train accident. He cautioned the Greek populace against any acts of violence during the planned protests scheduled to honor the 57 individuals, mostly students, who lost their lives in the nation’s deadliest railway catastrophe. Mass demonstrations are anticipated across numerous Greek cities on Friday to pay respects to the victims of the fatal head-on collision between a freight train and a passenger train that occurred just before midnight on Feb. 28, 2023. As a show of solidarity and a call for justice, air, sea, and train services will grind to a halt as workers participate in a 24-hour strike organized by labor unions.
Even two years after the tragic incident, an official investigation is ongoing to determine the precise cause of the crash that occurred on the railway connecting Athens with Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city. Outraged by the lack of accountability, tens of thousands of Greeks rallied in protests last month, urging the government to identify and punish those responsible. Mitsotakis’ center-right administration, reelected following the accident, has come under fire from relatives of the victims for allegedly failing to investigate any potential political liabilities. Opposition parties have accused the government of concealing evidence and have called for its resignation.
During a televised segment of a cabinet meeting, Mitsotakis emphasized the need for heightened security during the upcoming demonstrations to prevent any attempts by unidentified groups to incite unrest and transform the current emotional climate into one of political turmoil. The Prime Minister referenced provocative online content that aimed to fuel violence, underscoring the importance of maintaining a united front in the pursuit of truth and justice. Asserting a firm stance against those seeking to sow discord through violent means, Mitsotakis vowed to stand against any efforts to disrupt the nation’s peace and stability.
(Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
