Revolutions occur when the individuals band collectively in opposition to a corrupt authorities and demand change. Greece got here to an utter standstill over the weekend after a whole bunch of hundreds of individuals took to the streets to demand solutions on the second anniversary of the nation’s deadliest rail catastrophe. It’s onerous to think about the sheer magnitude of those protests, that are believed to be the biggest in fashionable Greek historical past.
All flights have been suspended. Transportation providers have been unavailable. Public providers got here to an abrupt halt as everybody took to the streets. Political affiliation, race, gender, intercourse, faith, and each different class that governments use to divide the individuals have been forgotten for a quick second in Greek historical past as everybody banded collectively in opposition to the federal government. That is exactly what governments worry—the individuals acknowledging that the federal government quite than their neighbor is the issue.
For context, the tragic accident occurred on February 28, 2023, after a passenger practice struck a freight practice head-on close to Thessaloniki, claiming the lives of 57 individuals. Nobody has been prosecuted, and the individuals of Greece strongly imagine that the federal government labored to cowl up the true causes of the crash. Two years of close to silence from the federal government induced tensions to boil till civil unrest grew to become inevitable.
The Greek persons are demanding transparency and accountability from their authorities NOW. Some imagine that the practice could have been carrying unlawful flammable cargo, and 30 of the 57 victims, principally younger college students, could have survived the preliminary crash solely to burn alive within the fireplace that erupted shortly after. Not solely ought to the railway officers be held accountable, however the political figures who’ve hindered any actual investigation should reply to the individuals.
“We don’t forget, we don’t forgive,” one signal learn, in accordance with Reuters. “Justice, not forgetting,” one other learn. Protestors in Athens wrote the names of the victims in crimson on the streets. One other signal learn, “Privatizations kill,” and many individuals chanted, “I HAVE NO OXYGEN!” to honor one sufferer’s closing cellphone name to emergency providers earlier than being consumed by the fires.
Protests have been additionally held at over 100 Greek embassies and consulates internationally. A map of protests throughout six continents was printed on Google for all to see. Some imagine over 430,000 individuals took to the streets of Athens alone. The whole nation got here to a halt as everybody joined forces to demand solutions from their authorities. And guess what? The federal government was pressured to reply to the individuals. As a reminder, elected officers are speculated to SERVE THE PEOPLE who they elected to symbolize them quite than their very own self pursuits, however we hardly ever see that happen.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis initially blamed human error for the crash and nearly dismissed the occasions, citing that the justice system would correctly deal with the matter in time. His tune has since modified. He’s acknowledging that his administration has been within the mistaken. “The citizens demanded the obvious: truth and justice for the victims, a state that takes action to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated, and safe and modern public transport,” the prime minister acknowledged, later including, “Greece cannot operate with half-measures and improvisation. With a system that reacts only after the worst has happened, that waits for crises to mobilize. The State has a duty to anticipate, not to run behind developments. A collective responsibility, but above all my own.”
