Large Athens rally over Tempi rail disaster concludes; public services on 24-hour strike
Protest rallies in central Athens organised by trade unions, student unions and leftist groups over the deadly train collision in Tempi concluded on Wednesday afternoon.
The large-scale mobilizations were held in Klafthmonos Square, Propylea on Panepistimiou Street and in Syntagma Square by trade unions who called a 24-hour strike over the train crash, including the public-sector employees union federation ADEDY and the Athens Labour Center.
With demands for a full inquiry and an end to privatisations, protestors marched toward Syntagma Square and the Greek Parliament, where the main body of demonstrators reaching the square at around 15:00.
At the same time, the left-wing trade union faction PAME organised a separate rally and march to Parliament over the rail accident at Propylea, attending by labour organisations, federations, unions, students and pupils.
"This crime will not be covered up. Modern-Safe-Cheap Mass Transportation for the people. Against the criminal policy of profit," is the slogan that dominates the demonstration, which extended from Omonia to Syntagma Square as people were constantly arriving in downtown Athens to protest.
Sunday rally
Police announced that 15 people were detained and that 7 arrests were made during the protest rallies. According to police sources, those arrested were caught in possession of items such as flares, stones, bats and hoods. They are being held at the state security police headquarters and will be led before a public prosecutor on Thursday.
Similar demonstrations were taking place in other Greek cities on Wednesday. There were minor clashes between protestors and police in Thessaloniki, where thousands turned out to demonstrate, and a large protest rally organised by students in Lamia and thousands took part in a rally and march held in Larissa. Protest rallies were also organised in the city of Ioannina, the port city of Patras, Chania and Heraklion on Crete and the island of Rhodes, among others.
The Piraeus Labour Center and Athens labour unions renewed their call for a mass protest gathering that will be held at Syntagma Square on Sunday (March 12) at 12:00 noon.
Several incidents broke out in downtown Athens during the protest rallies over the Tempi train collision and the safety of public transportation on Wednesday.
Police said that around 15:30 during the large rally downtown, a group of about 50 individuals broke away from the crowd on the lower side of Syntagma Square and started attacking police with petrol bombs, stones, and other objects. The police made use of teargas.
More incidents broke out before the Monument of the Unknown Soldier at Syntagma, and police forced the individuals to head toward Panepistimiou street. More incidents broke out at the University of Athens rector's office (Propylea), when nearly 200 masked individuals attacked police.
At the same time, unknown people burned a car, broke store windows and bus stops, and vandalized the monument for the victims of Marfin.
Incidents also broke out at Pireos street in Omonia, with unknown people lighting dumpsters there and around the archaeological site of Kerameikos. Police rounded up 13 individuals for identification.
A total of 28 people were rounded up and brought to police departments for identification. Of these, 7 of these detentions were changed to arrests.
In the evening, police shut down traffic on Vassilissis Amalias, Vassilissis Sofias, and Stadiou streets because of protests held by various groups at Syntagma over the train crash and for International Women's Day.
In a statement on the Marfin monument, the Municipality of Athens said it would repair the plaque at the site "once again" after the destruction "by so-called protesters".
AMNA
