Prominent in both volume and pulse were the rallies held on Friday (Feb. 28) across Greece and in cities abroad to mark the two-year anniversary of the Tempi train tragedy in which 57 people died.

The message from citizens was loud and clear. Justice and accountability.With slogans such as “I have no oxygen, a crowd of people were present and stood by the side of the victims’ relatives.

Photos of the unprecedented volume of concentrations

Even the clashes caused by the “black block” of the anarchists were not enough to mar the day and distort the central message.

The beginning came after the end of the rallies. In Athens, around 1 p.m. a group of 700 people appeared in front of the side entrance of the Greek Parliament, at the junction of Vasilissis Amalias and Vasilissis Sofias avenues, and launched an attack on police officers and others in the courtyard.

With their faces covered they began tearing marbles and stones from the sidewalks and throwing them at the police officers along with Molotov cocktails, as well as metal and other objects. On their part, the police officers “responded” by using tear gas and flash-bang bombs.

At the same time, a group of anarchists entered the perimeter of the archaeological site at the Olympic Zeus pillars and started throwing stones at the police forces. Then the police water cannon took to the streets. The riots spread all over the center, up to Omonia, Metropoleos and Syngrou Avenue. Hooded men set up barricades with burning bins, while the police used tear gas and flash bangs.

Also, footage released yesterday captures the moment hooded men threw a police officer to the ground and then started kicking and punching him. On the other hand, civilians complained that they were allegedly attacked indiscriminately by police officers while they were outside the parliament and were demonstrating peacefully.

In total, police officers apprehended 220 people of which 73 turned into arrests. At the same time, 29 police officers were injured in the attacks, while buildings and vehicles were damaged. Those arrested are to be brought before the competent prosecutor.

Thessaloniki was also packed with people

A crowd of people also descended on the center of Thessaloniki to protest on the two-year anniversary of the Tempi tragedy.

At the same time, citizens released dozens of black balloons into the sky in mourning for the victims of the tragedy.

Many people at the Larissa rally

A large gathering to protest the accident in Tempi also took place in the central square of Larissa with the central slogan “I don’t have oxygen“.

Larissa residents, city institutions, labor unions, student associations participated in the rally en masse, while the shops remained closed by decision of the Association of catering entrepreneurs and the Commercial Association.

The Patra’s rally

George Square in Patras was packed with people, as were the neighbouring streets. The rally was followed by a march through the main streets of the city.

Rally in Lamia

People of all ages flooded the center of Lamia on Friday to honour the 57 victims of Tempi.

According to lamiareport.gr, from early morning thousands of citizens, apart from the central Parkou Square, extended their presence to the city’s main streets (Karagiannopoulou, Kolokotroni, Kapodistriou, Riga Feraiou, Vyronos, Hatzopoulou).

Thousands of citizens on the streets of Volos

Thousands of citizens joined their voices in Volos in the call for justice, wanting to honor the memory of the victims of the deadly train tragedy.

The meeting was held at the Dome of the University of Thessaly and the assembled crowd reached as far as Agios Konstantinos, flooding the beach of Volos, but also up to the junction of Glavanis and Dimitriados streets, according to gegonota.news.

Large gathering in Ioannina

A large number of people attended the big gathering in the central square of Ioannina and joined their voices with the central slogan “Justice for Tempi”.

In fact, farmers with their tractors were also present at the big gathering. The picture was similar in all the cities and towns of Epirus. The rallies were followed by marches.

Thousands of people at the march in Heraklion

Heraklion, Crete, was filled with chants and banners early this morning as citizens, associations and organisations gathered in the city center to honour the 57 victims of the tragedy in Tempi.

Gathering of remembrance in Pyrgos

Gatherings in memory of the victims of the tragedy of Tempi were completed early in the afternoon in Pyrgos, with the participation of thousands of citizens.

Students, unions, trade unions and farmers gathered in the central square holding banners, shouting slogans, demanding accountability and justice.

Thousands of citizens at the rally in Messolonghi

Thousands of citizens flooded the Garden of Heroes in Messolonghi early Friday, registering one of the largest gatherings in the city in recent years.

The rally was followed by a march to the courthouse, according to messolonghinews.gr.