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A demonstration against the Greek government’s handling of the nation’s worst train accident turned violent on Friday, with numerous young people throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at law enforcement.

The events unfolded in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens during large-scale demonstrations commemorating the second anniversary of a devastating train collision in northern Greece that resulted in 57 fatalities.

Following several hours of peaceful demonstrations in the Greek capital, young protesters used hammers to break up paving stones, hurling the debris and improvised incendiary devices at officers, who responded with tear gas.

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of various cities on Friday in a large demonstration spearheaded by relatives of the deceased.

Clashes also occurred in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, where a massive crowd filled the city center, and black balloons were released into the air to honor the victims.

According to authorities, over 80 individuals were taken into custody, and five were injured in Athens alone.

These demonstrations, which are among the largest since the country’s debt crisis over a decade ago, have been fueled by public anger toward the conservative government’s alleged inaction.

Critics argue that politicians should be held responsible for the failures that contributed to the accident, but to date, only railway officials have faced criminal charges.

“The government has failed to deliver justice,” stated Christos Main, 57, a musician participating in the Athens rally. “This wasn’t an accident; it was murder,” he asserted.

In one of Greece’s largest demonstrations in recent years, public services and numerous private businesses were shut down as people flooded the streets of cities and towns, chanting “murderers” in protest against what they perceive as the state’s involvement in the disaster. The government refutes any wrongdoing.

Rail unions claim that the network has suffered from inadequate maintenance despite recent upgrades aimed at providing faster train services.

The 2023 train accident in Tempe involved a head-on collision between a passenger train and an oncoming freight train.

It resulted in numerous injuries and highlighted shortcomings in the country’s transportation infrastructure.

The collision occurred just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge separating the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. The train was traveling on Greece’s busiest route, from Athens to Thessaloniki.

Reuters and