Major strike in Greece

As civil servants in Greece went on a 24-hour strike, workers, civil servants, and students held demonstrations in the capital, Athens.

The 24-hour strike, called by the Civil Servants' Confederation (ADEDY), was also supported by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME).

The date of the strike, organized with the demand for improved economic conditions for employees, was specifically chosen to mark the anniversary of the train accident that occurred near Tempi, Larissa, last year, which resulted in the deaths of 57 people.

The protesters demanded that the government take measures against the cost of living, increase salaries, and raise the number of personnel in the public sector.

On the other hand, the protesters also demanded that the train accident that occurred in Tempi on February 28 last year be clarified and that those responsible be punished. In the demonstration where some protesters carried Palestinian flags, slogans of "Freedom for Palestine" were chanted.

TRANSPORTATION IN ATHENS CAME TO A HALT

Due to the strike in Athens, taxi, metro, and tram services were suspended for 24 hours. It was decided that buses and trolleybuses would only operate during certain hours. Maritime transport was also suspended for one day.

Due to the strike, education was disrupted in many schools. According to data from the Hellenic Police, over 20 thousand people participated in the demonstration held in Athens as part of the strike.

Protester Manos Andrulakis said, "We are here as the Greek Teachers' Federation. We are also participating in the 24-hour strike announced by ADEDY. We are fighting so that the Tempi train accident is not covered up. We are fighting for public education."

During the demonstration, slogans were also chanted against the draft law the government is working on, which would allow private universities to operate in the country.

"WE HAVE NO STRENGTH LEFT TO ENDURE"

Pointing to the high participation in the protest, protester Takis Rubis said, "We are here one year after the Tempi tragedy. We want justice for the 57 victims of this tragedy. Let the incident be fully clarified. Apart from this, workers are here today because of the high cost of living that the whole society is experiencing. We want a dignified life, we want to be able to live on our salaries. I want to shout that we have no strength left to endure. A solution must be found to these problems."

A scuffle broke out between a group of protesters and the police in front of the parliament building in Athens. Some protesters threw Molotov cocktails into the garden of the parliament building, and the police intervened with tear gas.

Demonstrations were also held in cities such as Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos, and Chania for similar reasons. In Thessaloniki, a scuffle broke out between police and protesters. The police dispersed the protesters with tear gas.