Protesters gathered across Greece on Friday to mark three years since the Tempi train crash that killed 57 people.
Rallies were held in Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities to commemorate the victims of the 28 February 2023 collision in Tempi. The crash, involving a passenger train and a goods train, triggered widespread political and social unrest at the time.
In central Athens, tension escalated outside the Zappeion Hall. Some protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at police. Officers responded with chemical agents and flash grenades to disperse the rioters. There was heavy activity on Amalias and Othonos streets.
Police made 11 arrests and 178 detentions shortly before and during the event. By around 4 p.m., the situation in Syntagma Square had calmed. Streets in central Athens are gradually reopening, though Amalias Avenue remains closed as some protesters remain at the site.
Νέα αναίτια επίθεση των ΜΑΤ στους διαδηλωτές στο Σύνταγμα#ingr #news #τεμπη #συνταγμα pic.twitter.com/oZ1xuSIdFS
— in.gr/news (@in_gr) February 28, 2026
The protests were scheduled to begin at 12 noon Greek time. The Greek Actors’ Union, along with unions representing private employees and freelancers, took part. The Civil Servants’ Confederation also called on public-sector workers to join.
In a statement, organisers said they continue to demand exclusively public rail transport. They said this would ensure there is no cover-up of the crash and that both criminal and political responsibility is attributed to all those involved.
Industrial action affected transport and public services. Theatres remained closed. The Maritime Federation and train workers declared a strike, meaning scheduled ship and rail services did not operate. Trams, buses and the Athens metro ran between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. to allow people to travel to the rallies.
The anniversary comes weeks before the start of a high-profile trial linked to the crash. Proceedings are due to begin on 23 March in Larissa, Thessaly. The case file runs to around 60,000 pages.
A total of 36 defendants will face trial. They include the Larissa stationmaster who is accused of sending the passenger train onto the wrong line, where it collided with a freight train.
Among those charged are 11 executives and department heads of the Greek Railways Organisation (OSE), 16 executives of the railway infrastructure company ERGOSE, and the chief executive and technical director of Hellenic Train S.A. They face charges including disruption of public transport and other misdemeanours. Three defendants face misdemeanour charges only.
A separate trial concerning video footage of the commercial train and its handling is ongoing. A decision is also awaited from the judicial council regarding former Deputy Prime Minister Christos Triantopoulos, who is accused of altering the accident site.
The then Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Kostas Karamanlis, faces accusations of dereliction of duty in connection with the case.
Maria Karystianou, a paediatrician whose 19-year-old daughter died in the crash and who previously headed the Tempi 2023 Accident Victims’ Association, has announced that she will form her own political party.