As citizens, we often wonder: “If I take to the streets in protest, will anyone actually listen? Will it make any difference?”
Last Sunday in Athens, tens of thousands of people marched to demand answers about the Tempi rail disaster: How did 57 people, mostly young students, died? Was the collision alone enough to cause such complete destruction? Was the train secretly carrying dangerous cargo? Why was the accident site hastily buried? Why were documents deleted? What do we make of the leaked audio recordings where someone is heard saying “I have no oxygen”? Why is justice taking so long? Can citizens still trust the state?
Despite obvious attempts to downplay the massive turnout and dismiss it as an opposition-orchestrated move against the government, the Prime Minister got the message. He realised that as time passes, questions (and anger) are only mounting, and he can no longer afford to remain silent or hide. It’s not in his interest to alienate the victims’ families, as many people have rallied behind them – some with pure intentions, others perhaps less so.
Although he won a resounding election victory after the accident, the tide is now turning, and Tempi threatens to sink him. His party members’ attempts to discredit parents (particularly Maria Karystianou, who, after losing her child, has made it her life’s mission to find answers and secure justice) is proving to be a poor strategy.
Despite efforts to minimise the significance of the crowd, this proved impossible. Kyriakos Mitsotakis saw and understood this. He was forced (or perhaps chose, given the circumstances) to admit for the first time that his initial certainty about the train’s cargo had been shaken. That things might not have been as they seemed. He felt compelled to emphasise his role as a parent to convince people that he empathises with the families of the 57 victims. He distanced himself from government officials who had attacked victims’ relatives, saying that he “bows his head” and assured them they would learn the truth.
Doubts about his sincerity won’t easily fade. After so many missteps (or calculated moves), it’s hard to believe that he too was a victim, that he was misled down the wrong path. For now, the victory belongs to the people who managed to draw the Prime Minister out of his palace and force him to acknowledge that the theories surrounding the accident might not be mere conspiracy theories after all.