ATHENS ERUPTS IN CHAOS..! Riots Mark Anniversary of Deadly Train Disaster
What began as a peaceful rally of hundreds of thousands in Syntagma Square, outside the Greek Parliament, spiraled into street battles between protesters and riot police.
Athens the Capital of Greece, descended into chaos as massive protests commemorating the second anniversary of the Tempi train disaster—a horrific 2023 rail collision that killed 57 people, mostly students—turned violent. What began as a peaceful rally of hundreds of thousands in Syntagma Square, outside the Greek Parliament, spiraled into street battles between protesters and riot police, an event that could ripple through European markets and catch the attention of global investors, including those in India.
The protests, fueled by outrage over a stalled judicial probe and allegations of a government cover-up, saw families and citizens demand justice for the Tempi victims. The disaster, blamed on systemic neglect of Greece’s rail network, has become a symbol of institutional failure. By afternoon, the mood shifted as hooded youths—often linked to anarchist groups—attacked police with Molotov cocktails, rocks, and fireworks. Riot police retaliated with tear gas and flash-bang grenades, sending plumes of smoke over central Athens. Families fled in panic, some seeking refuge inside the Parliament, as the clashes disrupted a nationwide strike that halted air, sea, and rail transport.
Posts on social media captured the escalating violence: videos showed masked protesters setting fires, while others described a city “on fire” as anarchists clashed near mourners. The unrest, mirrored in cities like Thessaloniki, underscored deep public distrust in the Greek government, with chants of “murderers” echoing through the streets. An estimated 5,000 police officers, bolstered by drones and helicopters, struggled to contain the chaos, marking one of Greece’s largest protests in years.
