Protest Over Train Crash, Thousands of Greek Workers Ready to Strike

Thousands of workers in Greece are scheduled to join a nationwide strike on Wednesday (8/3) to protest the country’s deadliest train crash that killed 57 people. The mass demonstration is expected to culminate outside the parliament building in Athens.

The accident on February 28 has sparked public outrage over the state of the Greek rail network in disrepair.

An intercity passenger train collided with a freight train while traveling on the same rail line. Many of the approximately 350 passengers on the train were students heading to the northern city of Thessaloniki from Athens after a long holiday weekend.

The accident has sparked protests across Greece, with more than 10,000 people rallying in Athens on Sunday. They released hundreds of black balloons into the sky.

Railway workers have been on a 24-hour strike since Thursday, bringing the rail network to a halt. They say their demands for increased safety protocols have not been heard in years.

The government, whose term ends this summer, blamed human error for the crash. But PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis appears to be taking some of the criticism, acknowledging that decades of neglect may have contributed to the disaster. [uh/ab]