Tempi: Citizens Made History Throughout Greece – Biggest Protests Ever

Today, the people tabled their own “conclusion”, as millions of citizens poured onto the streets across Greece to demand justice for the Tempi rail disaster. An attempt to besmirch the massive gathering on Syntagma square Constitution with violent incidents fell by the wayside. It was almost certain that there would be tension. The least that the government should have done, as a basic tribute to the victims and the victims’ relatives, was to ensure that people could demonstrate peacefully and in safety.

The ministry of citizens’ protection and the relevant minister, Michalis Chrysochoidis, failed miserably by letting the largest gathering of the post-1974 period disperse, frightened by the sight of hundreds of thousands of people providing “oxygen”, one of the themes of the protests, by breaking a social trauma “abscess”, two years since the bleak anniversary of the Tempi national tragedy.

Providing ‘oxygen’, receiving tear gas

“We want oxygen to breathe freely,” demonstrators demanded, with the police forces replying with generous helpings of chemicals, depriving oxygen, a precious commodity for life, and driving away, fortunately only for a short while, the massive crowd that flooded Syntagma Square and the streets around it for kilometers – not to bring down the government, nor to destabilize the country, but to become the voice of the 57 people who were lost and to support the relatives of the victims.The image of the river of demonstrators cannot be erased from the temporary moments of tension. A great breath of oxygen from the hundreds of thousands of protesters.

The image of the river of protesters cannot be erased from the few moments of tension. A great breath of oxygen from the hundreds of thousands of protesters.

Pain that turned to rage

Before the incidents broke out, Maria Karystianou, the mother of one of the victims and the president of a group representing families of victims, holding a placard that read “I have no oxygen”, took to the podium, with the crowd interrupting her address by rhythmically shouting “murderers”.

“We’re moving forward with a reverent commitment to truth and justice. Our pain has spilt over and become momentum. We realize the depth of this rot. Every day the specter of corrupt power appears before us. Unworthiness and dishonesty rule us. Those of us here today, either individually or collectively, have borne the cost of an unjust and arrogant government; we have experienced the face of pervasive corruption. In the chaos in our hearts from the loss of our children we have discovered forces we did not know existed.

“As mothers, we have a duty to protect our children’s memory, the safety of other children – a union for catharsis. We can and will bring the miracle of justice to our country again. I address the murderers of our children. You have insulted and treated our dead with disrespect. You have committed the greatest hubris and you will receive your due through nemesis. The divine river of truth has no turning back,” she said.

Never again another Tempi

Elias Papaggelis, the father of 19-year-old student Anastasia, who died in the crash, said: “We are asking for justice, more oxygen, to get out of the darkness, to come into the light; for more transparency and for everything to be done safely and in the right way; that we never have another Tempi again.”

Pavlos Aslanidis, the father of 26-year-old Dimitris, another victim, said: “It is a day of remembrance, we honor the victims and the message is that we finally need to establish rule of law, so that such serial murders never happen again.”

Dimitris Bezas, who lost his daughter, Francesca, in the rail disaster, spoke to MEGA from the scene of the crash, underling that: “My little girl, my daughter’s voice was ‘I have no oxygen’, in her desperate attempt to survive,” he emotionally said. “Her cries became a slogan. My child didn’t make it, just as other people who were with her didn’t make it,” he continued.

Nikos Plakias, who was also at the scene of the crime, where the trisagion memorial service for the unfortunate souls was being held, was also devastated.

“Those who have doubted us, who insulted mothers and relatives, should come here, such as Mr. (Makis) Voridis, and the rest. I appeal to the politicians, put aside petty politics and differences and bow your heads over the crime of Tempi. The abhorrent law on the liability of ministers should be abolished. Let justice be done. Together we will achieve a great many things. Embrace your relatives,” he said.

Emotionally charged

Claudia Latta’s mother told MEGA that all the mothers of the victims will continue to fight for justice for the 57 victims.

“For these victims, we deserve a country that will do them justice and a history that will remember them forever. We mothers will stand up until I go to court to hear from the prosecutor that whoever was really to blame for the loss of my daughter should be given 57 life sentences.”

Kyriaki Griva’s mother broke down: “I kissed my child in her coffin, I said my last…my last goodbye. These mothers here, these mothers here, I came to ask them what it’s like to search, what it’s like to bury a watch, a finger, a charred remains. What it’s like to be given your child in a bag. What is it like? How much weight do 57 souls carry?”

Kyriaki Griva’s mother was devastating

“I came to share my pain, but I found an even greater one,” she said in her address. Despina Kallea, with her daughter’s photo next to her and with tears in her eyes and a trembling voice, said “she is not at the rally just for Kyriaki, I am here as a mother because I know what it is like to hear your child pleading for help. I know what it’s like to want to hold his hand, to whisper ‘mommy is here’.”

And she continued: “How much courage do 57 souls have? You carry them on your shoulders, my Maria. I wish I could take some of your pain. I wish I could, because I will make it. I’m here and thank you very much,” she concluded in a state of intense emotion with the crowd applauding her.

After the tear gas, the water cannons

Early in the afternoon, with people returning peacefully to Syntagma Square, with the images cutting into the government, police water cannons were mobilized. By blasting water they wanted to chase away the people who returned to the Monument of the Unknown Soldier. Without provocation they drenched many demonstrators, but nothing changed the reality, with the citizens returning more determined than ever.

All of Greece on the streets

From Soufli to Gavdos, hundreds of thousands of citizens poured into the streets and squares across Greece.

Shops, businesses and services shut down as part of the strike, in support of the struggle of the families of the 57 victims of the tragedy. “I have no oxygen”, “Justice”, “We don’t forget”, “It wasn’t an accident, it was murder” were just some of the slogans shouted by protesters at the grand rallies held from all over Greece for the souls lost two years ago on Feb. 28, 2023.

A massive turnout in Thessaloniki

A massive gathering and march in memory of the victims of the Tempi tragedy was held by unions, college students, pupils and ordinary citizens in Thessaloniki. At the central rallying point, at the statue of Eleftherios Venizelos, relatives of the victims and representatives of railway and workers’ unions demanded “the full investigation and clarification of the circumstances and causes of the accident” and the attribution of responsibility “for the natural and moral perpetrators”, as well as the “condemnation of the politicians who brought the railways to this situation”.

“The crime in Tempi will not be forgotten”, according to the representative of the Beta CAE workers’ union, a colleague of Tempi victim Filippos Lazaridis. A Hellenic Train employee and relative of victim Nikos Tsaklidis said: “We lost 11 colleagues… 57 families were counted, and their relatives were lost.”

Small-scale incidents occurred at the railway station and in a city bus parking area, as buses remained parked due to the strike, when a group of protesters with their faces covered broke away from the march and approached police forces. Firebombs and objects were thrown at police, who repelled them with flash bombs and tear gas.

Patras

A massive and dynamic protest took place today at the King George Square in Patras, in memory of the 57 people killed in the train accident.

The massive gathering, which extended beyond the square to all the neighboring streets, was dominated by a demand for justice, and was attended by city officials, trade unions, students, pupils, teachers, shop owners, professionals, representatives of local government, political parties and ordinary citizens.

Many of those gathered held banners and posters calling for “no cover-up”, as well as white and black balloons with the names of the dead, and chanted slogans throughout the rally.

Kalamata

The images in Kalamata were also unprecedented, with almost all shops closed. More than 15,000 people gathered in the central square to honor the dead of Tempi and to demand justice for these 57 souls.

Karditsa

One of the biggest rallies over the last few years took place today in Karditsa, central Greece. Thousands of local residents gathered in the central square of the city, with banners and placards, shouting slogans and demanding justice for the 57 people who died in the tragedy, that there should be no cover-up. The gathering was dominated by young people.

Crete

Large rallies were held in all regions of Crete. More than 30,000 people gathered in Eleftherias Square in Heraklion, Crete and the surrounding streets.

I have no oxygen”, “Let the judiciary be independent”, “Tempi will be an occasion for justice to be heard” were the slogans that dominated the rally for the Tempi accident, held in the square of Unknown Soldier in Rethymno.

Young people, adults, families, associations and unions took to the streets in Chania, while dozens of professional sectors and services did not operate. This was probably the biggest rally that has taken place in Chania in decades.

Trikala

Thousands of citizens of all ages gathered in Riga Feraiou Square in Trikala, demanding, with banners and placards, justice for the victims of the Tempi accident.

A large number of pupils and students in the city participated, who, among other things, stressed in their short addresses that we join voices with the relatives of the victims and put into practice a promise we made from the very first moment, that we will be the voice of the dead.

After the speeches, thousands of citizens headed to the Trikala railway station.

Larissa

A human river of thousands of Larissa protesters who, after a huge gathering in the central square, started their march on the main streets, ending at the Hellenic Railways Organisation offices. Everyone is calling for justice for the victims and the 57 people killed in the train accident.

Samos

With two mass rallies, one in the central Pythagoras square and one in Karlovassio square, residents of Samos Island demonstrated, demanding accountability for the tragedy of Tempi.

The rallies were attended by a large number of schoolchildren who organized various events, bringing together students and many citizens of the island. The rallies were followed by marches in the streets of the two towns.

Lesvos

Thousands of citizens demanded oxygen in the capital of the island. An unprecedented gathering in Sappho Square. Pupils, students, teachers, professors, parents, doctors, traders, restaurateurs, nurses, employees from every sector and branch of the public sector and municipalities, catering and tourism workers, taxi and bus drivers, artists, farmers… were present.

Kavala

The protest rally held in the city of Kavala was impressive in every respect, with the participation of about 10,000 citizens of all ages. The central square of the city and the entire city centre was packed to capacity in what was probably the largest gathering ever held in Kavala.

The bells of all the churches tolled mournfully, while during the memorial service performed by Metropolitan Stefanos of Philippi, the bells of the church of Agios Nikolaos rang 57 times in memory of the victims.

In the city of Xanthi, the commemorative events began in the morning when a memorial service was held for the repose of the souls of the 57 innocent victims of the railway tragedy. A rally followed in the city’s central square, with demonstrators holding banners and shouting slogans calling for the Tempi tragedy to be fully clarified, for responsibilities to be assigned immediately and for there to be no cover-up.

Chios

Thousands of citizens of all ages poured into the streets and the central square of Chios today demanding justice for the 57 people killed in the Tempi accident.

A large and characteristic presence was the presence of schoolchildren who participated in an organized way with their schools.

Kefalonia

Argostoli Square was packed with people, in a demonstration that has never been seen before in the history of Kefalonia island. Thousands of citizens of all ages and all political affiliations flooded the city centre, with anger and grief over the crime of Tempi overflowing at every step of the march.

Zakynthos

Citizens of all ages were present at the rally, sending a message that the tragedy of Tempi must not be forgotten. Shops, businesses and services remained closed as a sign of support for the struggle of the families of the 57 victims of the Tempi tragedy seeking justice.

Rhodes

Rhodes gave its own “oxygen” to the memory of the people in the tragedy of Tempi.

In a magnificent gathering that has no previous precedent in Rhodes, people came down from 11 a.m. in the city centre and joined the millions of people all over Greece and abroad.

The bells in the Holy Church of the Annunciation sounded mournfully 57 times, as many as the number of victims of the train tragedy that killed 57 people so unjustly, followed by a memorial prayer that was heard through the loudspeakers in the square. The participants observed absolute silence in memory of the victims, in an atmosphere of emotion and intense emotion.

Source: Tovima.com