Greece protests: Violence erupts as protests engulf country on second anniversary of deadly train crash
Protests are taking place across the world about the Greek state response to the disaster
Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in cities and towns across Greece to demand justice on the second anniversary of the country's deadliest-ever train crash.
Fifty-seven people were killed when a passenger train filled with students collided with a freight train on February 28, 2023, near the Tempi gorge in central Greece.
Two years later, the safety gaps that caused the crash have not been filled, an inquiry found earlier this week. A separate judicial investigation remains unfinished and no one has been convicted in the accident, leading to outrage among Greek citizens.
Bi-partisan protests are taking place across the country and outside Greek embassies around the world, including in London.
People gather next to fire, near the Greek parliament during a protest,
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People gather in front of the Greek parliament
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People gather in front of the Greek parliament during a protest
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People gather near the Greek parliament during a protest in Athens
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The majority of businesses across Greece were shut and theatres cancelled performances as violence erupted in Athens.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' right wing government, which won re-election after the crash in 2023, has faced repeated criticism by relatives of the victims for failing to initiate a parliamentary inquiry into political responsibility.
Mitsotakis' government denies wrongdoing and says it is up to the judiciary to investigate the accident, leading to allegations of corruption.
In the suburbs of the capital, groups of all ages marched downtown with placards reading "I have no oxygen," a slogan of the protests echoing a woman's last words in a call to emergency services. Many pupils went to class dressed in black, a symbol of mourning, while others held up black balloons.
Police holds shields during clashes near the Greek parliament at a protest
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A drone view shows people gathering in front of the Greek parliament during a protest
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More to follow...