Students from across Greece demonstrated under the central slogan, “I have no oxygen,” to protest the alleged cover-up of the Tempi railway disaster in 2023.
In Athens, thousands of students rallied in a march starting from Propylaea and passing through the Parliament building in Syntagma Square. The Coordinating Committee of Athens Students had earlier urged middle and high school students nationwide to participate en masse, both in Athens and in the central squares of major cities.
Meanwhile, the board of the Federation of Secondary Education Teachers (OLME) had called on school teachers to stand in solidarity with students and join the protests.
In its call for Friday’s rally, OLME noted that everything must be fully uncovered, with an investigation into the reasons for the explosion and those responsible for the “unacceptable tampering with the scene of the crime before the necessary evidence had been collected”.
Greek government under pressure over Tempi disaster
The Greek government is under pressure following new allegations that officials tampered with evidence that could have uncovered important clues on the railway accident.
Last week tens of thousands of Greeks across the country took to the streets to protest against the government’s delay in concluding who was responsible for the Tempi railway disaster.
For two years, the Association of Relatives of the Victims has demanded justice while accusing the government of attempting to cover up the incident.
Victims’ family members assert that the Tempi railway disaster was not an accident, but a crime committed by the government. They claim that the government acted hastily to cover it up and tampered with evidence, thereby stalling the investigation and failing to address the families’ inquiries.
Mitsotakis attempted to respond to the cover-up accusations by saying that the main responsibility for the continuous delays falls on Hellenic Train, the Police, agency officials, and the judiciary.
Minister resigns
A Greek minister resigned on Thursday following allegations of a cover-up in the Tempi tragedy that claimed the lives of 57 people in 2023.
Deputy Minister of Civil Protection Christos Triandopoulos resigned after a parliamentary investigation into his role was announced, but denied all allegations.
In an announcement made on the floor of parliament on Thursday morning, he said: “I want to clarify that everything that is mentioned, as far as I am concerned, is outside of all reality and logic.”
Main opposition PASOK filed for the establishment of a parliamentary committee to investigate the responsibilities of Triantopoulos in the handling of the Tempi tragedy site on Tuesday. The government endorsed the proposal.
The center-left party alleged that Triantopoulos ordered the landfilling of the Tempi site before a thorough investigation could take place, which could lead to criminal liabilities.