Protests in Greece on rail crash anniversary as frustration at system failures boils over

Riot police fired volleys of tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons at protesters hurling gasoline bombs and smashed-up paving stones in Athens on Friday. “The full truth must come to light, and those responsible, no matter how high their position, must be held accountable,” said Yannis Panagopoulos, president of the General Confederation of Greek Workers, the country’s largest labor union, which has backed Friday’s strike. Longstanding demands for safer working conditions Athens municipal worker Costas Reintzopoulos said the rail crash had highlighted longstanding demands for safer working conditions. “We don’t want to mourn more dead people, who leave in the morning to go to work and we don’t know if they’ll come back.” Memorial services were held at Orthodox churches in Athens for the victims, who included many university students returning from a long weekend. Mitsotakis promised to continue work to improve rail safety, adding: “Every Greek participates in this mourning, united under the common demand for truth.” The mountainous country is largely road-reliant and the Greek railway system is centered around a single route between Athens and Thessaloniki, a fact that made the collision harder for many to understand.