Revolutions occur when the folks band collectively in opposition to a corrupt authorities and demand change. Greece got here to an utter standstill over the weekend after lots of of hundreds of individuals took to the streets to demand solutions on the second anniversary of the nation’s deadliest rail catastrophe. It’s exhausting to think about the sheer magnitude of those protests, that are believed to be the biggest in trendy Greek historical past.
All flights had been suspended. Transportation providers had been unavailable. Public providers got here to an abrupt halt as everybody took to the streets. Political affiliation, race, gender, intercourse, faith, and each different class that governments use to divide the folks had been forgotten for a short second in Greek historical past as everybody banded collectively in opposition to the federal government. That is exactly what governments worry—the folks acknowledging that the federal government slightly than their neighbor is the issue.
For context, the tragic accident occurred on February 28, 2023, after a passenger prepare struck a freight prepare head-on close to Thessaloniki, claiming the lives of 57 folks. Nobody has been prosecuted, and the folks of Greece strongly imagine that the federal government labored to cowl up the true causes of the crash. Two years of close to silence from the federal government induced tensions to boil till civil unrest grew to become inevitable.
The Greek individuals are demanding transparency and accountability from their authorities NOW. Some imagine that the prepare might have been carrying unlawful flammable cargo, and 30 of the 57 victims, principally younger college students, might have survived the preliminary crash solely to burn alive within the fireplace that erupted shortly after. Not solely ought to the railway officers be held accountable, however the political figures who’ve hindered any actual investigation should reply to the folks.
“We don’t neglect, we don’t forgive,” one signal learn, based on Reuters. “Justice, not forgetting,” one other learn. Protestors in Athens wrote the names of the victims in crimson on the streets. One other signal learn, “Privatizations kill,” and many individuals chanted, “I HAVE NO OXYGEN!” to honor one sufferer’s last telephone name to emergency providers earlier than being consumed by the fires.
Protests had been additionally held at over 100 Greek embassies and consulates internationally. A map of protests throughout six continents was published on Google for all to see. Some imagine over 430,000 folks took to the streets of Athens alone. The whole nation got here to a halt as everybody joined forces to demand solutions from their authorities. And guess what? The federal government was pressured to reply to the folks. As a reminder, elected officers are alleged to SERVE THE PEOPLE who they elected to characterize them slightly than their very own self pursuits, however we hardly ever see that happen.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis initially blamed human error for the crash and nearly dismissed the occasions, citing that the justice system would correctly deal with the matter in time. His tune has since modified. He’s acknowledging that his administration has been within the flawed. “The residents demanded the plain: reality and justice for the victims, a state that takes motion to make sure such a tragedy is rarely repeated, and secure and trendy public transport,” the prime minister said, later including, “Greece can’t function with half-measures and improvisation. With a system that reacts solely after the worst has occurred, that waits for crises to mobilize. The State has an obligation to anticipate, to not run behind developments. A collective duty, however above all my very own.”
This sensible historic name for justice exhibits the energy of the folks as a collective. There’s a cause this isn’t a prime information story worldwide. If the folks weren’t divided, they might notice that governments are pinning us in opposition to each other for a cause. They try and defend us from the reality, silence us from talking, and slowly repeal our freedoms to achieve energy. However energy is sure to switch, and governments can solely tighten their grip on it for therefore lengthy till it’s pressured out of their arms. Utilizing each device at their disposal, governments all over the place aggressively divide the folks to keep up their energy, as they know the folks can and can overpower them when united. That is exactly how REAL change and revolutions occur.
