On February 28, 2025, hundreds of thousands of workers, students, and other people in at least 346 cities across Greece went on strike and protested in other ways on the second anniversary of 57 people, mostly students, dying in Greece’s deadliest train crash.
A 24-hour general strike involved air traffic controllers, seafarers, train drivers, doctors, lawyers, teachers and many others. Shops, schools, flights, and trains were canceled in remembrance of the victims and to express rage and call for accountability from the government.
The government’s response to the crash has been opaque with many people in Greece believing that officials have been conducting a cover-up of the crash. Since 2017, when the Greek rail system was privatized due to austerity measures imposed by the European Union, the for-profit train system has taken big steps to increase profits by cutting staff and neglecting important maintenance to safety equipment and more.
Since the crash, no real investigation has been done and recently a state inquiry found that, even after two years, the safety gaps that caused the crash have not been fixed. Following the February 28 general strike, the government is now facing a no-confidence vote in the Greek parliament.
The hundreds of thousands of workers, students, and other people taking to the streets and shutting down transit throughout the country shows the power that workers and other oppressed people can have when they organize together. People all over the world are facing attacks on our lives, livelihoods, health, and well-being. We can resist and fight back. The movement in Greece can be an inspiration.
