"It was a crime bound to happen for the sake of capitalist profits": Mass protests in Greece March 8

Protestors in Greece on March 8, 2023 -- image via PAME Greece International on Twitter

On Wednesday, March 8 tens-of-thousands of workers, students and people from all walks of life took to the streets in protests and general strikes across Greece to show their anger and fury over the horrific train crash on February 28 that killed at least 57 people. Many protestors are demanding the resignation of Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as well as a reversal of the privatization, austerity and "liberalization" agenda that they feel directly led to the disaster.

The horror of the crash is further compounded by the fact that many of those on board the train and among the dead were young people returning home from university.

These strikes follow on the heels of previous mass mobilizations that we looked at in Protests and outrage after horrific train disaster in Greece (theleftchapter.com) and Mass protests continue in Greece after horrific train disaster that killed at least 57 (theleftchapter.com)

According to the Communist Party of Greece (KKE):

On 8 March 2023, a general strike took place in Greece, while university and school students abstained from their classes. Mass strike rallies were held all over the country to condemn the criminal policies that treat safety and human life as a cost and a burden for the profits of the capitalists and the bourgeois state.

This strike highlighted the criminal political choice over railway operation that has been pursued subsequently over the years by the social democratic PASOK, the “leftist” SYRIZA and the liberal ND governments, as well as the EU. The demonstrators demanded that the real responsibilities and culprits be held accountable and punished immediately! Through their collective and organized struggle, they fight against a policy that sacrifices the life, health and rights of working-class and popular families for the sake of employers.

The sea of people who flooded the streets of Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa and other cities in the country shouted out loud “IT WAS A CRIME BOUND TO HAPPEN FOR THE SAKE OF CAPITALIST PROFITS”.

The working people and the youth, university and school students with their vitality, turned the grief and anger into struggle. They became the voice of the dead and consigned the government propaganda to the waste bin.

The images of today’s impressive demonstrations can neither be hidden nor overshadowed by the organized provocative plan of the government to disperse the demonstrators in Athens.

The strike took place against the organized attempt to cover up the murderous crime in Tempe, the employers’ intimidation in the workplaces, the measures of repression and intimidation of the people and the obstacles put up by the employer and government-led trade unionism.

Demonstrations and mobilizations are continuing today (March 9).