In the capital, the demonstrators occupied Syntagma Square, near the Parliament. On the banners, the word “assassins” was written in blood red letters. But also the phrase “call me when you arrive”, which has become the slogan of angry Greeks. Others carried messages honoring the 57 people who died in the Feb. 28 train collision in Tempe. “We will be the voices of all the dead”, displayed one of the demonstrators. Ditto in Thessaloniki where the students and the unions also promised to bring “the voice” of these victims, including many young people. With the daily Voriawhich covers the province of Macedonia, the president of the Hellenic train workers recalled that the sector was asking “for years security systems”.
For if four railway officials are prosecuted following this accident, it is the entire Greek railway network and its officials who are accused of having turned a blind eye to the tragedy to come. “It was anger and rage that brought me here,” testified, for example, Markella, a 65-year-old Athenian. “We are desperate. We don’t know what to say, what to do, all we can do is participate in the demonstration”, also confided Alexandros, 26, to AFP.