BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:30065@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:Solidarity and financial support for those arrested in Athens at Te mpis demonstration DTSTAMP:20261106T003435Z DTSTART:20261116T180000Z DESCRIPTION:From Tempi to Repression - A Call for Solidarity and Financial Support\n\nThis text is a call for solidarity and financial support for th ose arrested\nduring the general strike and demonstration held in Athens o n February 28\, 2026\,\nthree years after the Tempi train disaster\, which is widely regarded by the\nprotesters as a state crime.\n\nThose arrested are due to stand trial in March 2027\, facing serious felony\ncharges tha t entail substantial legal expenses. By spreading awareness of their\ncase \, the aim is both to inform comrades and collectives outside Greece about \nthe events and their political context\, and to raise the financial supp ort\nnecessary to cover their legal costs.\n\n The Tempi State Crime and t he Outpouring of Social Anger\n\nOn February 28\, 2023\, two trains travel ling in opposite directions collided in\nthe Tempi region of central Greec e\, leaving 57 people dead and hundreds injured.\n\nFrom the very first da ys\, the Greek government attempted to portray the\ncollision as the resul t of an isolated case of human error\, downplaying the\nlongstanding respo nsibilities of the state and the companies involved in\noperating the rail way system.\n\nHowever\, evidence soon began to emerge revealing the syste matic deterioration of\nrailway safety. Remote traffic control and safety systems had not been\ncompleted\, despite existing contracts and repeated warnings from railway\nworkers.\n\nAt the same time\, the privatisation of railway services\, carried out as part of\nthe austerity policies imposed on Greece during the economic crisis\, had created\na system of fragmente d responsibilities in which profit was prioritised over\nhuman life.\n\nOv er the following years\, revelations concerning the alteration of the cras h\nsite\, the handling of evidence\, and the unanswered questions surround ing the\ncircumstances of the victims’ deaths reinforced the widespread be lief that this\nwas not simply an accident\, but a state crime followed by attempts at a\ncover-up.\n\nThe victims’ families continued to demand ans wers\, while anger spread across the\ncountry. On February 28\, 2025\, hun dreds of thousands of people took to the\nstreets of Athens and other Gree k cities in one of the largest waves of protest\nin recent decades.\n\n A Society Under Strain\n\nFor those facing prosecution\, and for many others \, Tempi is not an isolated\nincident of state negligence. It is the resul t of the same political and\neconomic reality that has been undermining pe ople's lives for decades.\n\nGreece went through a profound economic crisi s\, during which severe austerity\nmeasures\, privatisations\, and the der egulation of labour were imposed. The mass\nsocial struggles of that perio d failed to reverse this course\, while the\nincorporation of social disco ntent into parliamentary politics led to even\ngreater disillusionment.\n\ nIn the years that followed\, rising living costs\, unaffordable rents\, p recarious\nemployment\, and the commodification of every aspect of everyda y life became the\nnorm. At the same time\, state repression intensified\, self-organised spaces came\nunder attack\, and public life became increas ingly restricted.\n\nThe same state and capitalist logic that treats human lives as disposable is\nexpressed\, according to this political analysis\ , far beyond Tempi: in the deaths\nof migrants at Europe's borders\, in po lice violence against Roma people and\nmigrants\, in the destruction of th e natural environment\, in the eviction of\nsquats\, and in the displaceme nt of residents from their own neighbourhoods.\n\nA striking example is th e Pylos shipwreck of 2023\, in which hundreds of migrants\nlost their live s and serious questions were raised concerning the responsibility\nof the Greek Coast Guard.\n\nFor us\, these are not disconnected incidents. They are different manifestations\nof a system that sacrifices human beings\, c ommunities\, and the natural\nenvironment in the name of development\, pro fitability\, and the preservation of\npower.\n\nFrom Mass Social Anger to Criminal Prosecution\n\nThe Tempi state crime sparked an enormous wave of social anger\, bringing\nhundreds of thousands of people onto the streets across Greece. The\nmobilisations were not limited to Athens but spread to numerous cities\, with\nmass demonstrations\, strikes\, and rallies.\n\nH owever\, despite its massive scale\, a large part of the movement remained \nfocused on demands for justice and the proper functioning of state insti tutions.\nWithin this broader social movement\, some participants\, includ ing those\ncurrently facing prosecution\, expressed a different political position. They do\nnot believe that crimes such as Tempi occur simply beca use state institutions\nfail to function properly. On the contrary\, they argue that such crimes are\nconsequences of the very way a system operates when it places economic and\npolitical interests above human needs.\n\nOn February 28\, 2026\, the third anniversary of the disaster\, new demonstr ations\ntook place across the country. Among those participating in the At hens\ndemonstration were the individuals who now face felony charges. Thei r\nparticipation was not solely an act of protest for the 57 people killed at\nTempi\, but also an expression of a broader political anger: for thos e who have\ndied at the borders\, for the victims of police violence\, for the neighbourhoods\nbeing lost\, for autonomous spaces being repressed\, for the natural world being\ndestroyed\, and for an everyday existence tha t is becoming increasingly\nsuffocating.\n\nAs they themselves explain\, t hey chose not to confine their anger to demands for\ninstitutional reform. They chose to resist police repression and confront the\nforces attemptin g to impose silence and social peace. They do not see state\nviolence as a n exception\, but as a fundamental mechanism through which the\nexisting s ocial order is maintained. And we stand with them in this.\n\nOur anger is not limited to what happened on that particular day. It concerns\nthe liv es imposed on large sections of society every day\, and the prospect of a\ nfuture in which exploitation\, repression\, and death are presented as in evitable\nconsequences of “progress”.\n\nThe Legal Case and the Call for S olidarity\n\nDuring the demonstration of February 28\, 2026\, the individu als concerned were\narrested and subsequently faced serious felony charges . Their trial is scheduled\nfor March 2027\, and the legal expenses they a re required to cover are\nsubstantial.\n\nThe financial burden of this cas e cannot be overlooked. In a context where\ncriminal penalties and legal c osts have increased\, simply becoming involved in\nlegal proceeding can pl ace an enormous burden on anyone who chooses to struggle.\n\nFor this reas on\, a call for solidarity and financial support is being made.\nFinancial contributions\, the organisation of benefit events\, spreading awareness\ nof the case\, and building connections between collectives are meaningful ways to\nensure that no one engaged in struggle is left alone in the face of repression.\n\nThis case does not concern Greece alone. Privatisation policies\, the devaluation\nof human life\, increasing surveillance\, and the repression of social resistance\nknow no borders. Neither should our s olidarity.\n\nComrades and collectives from other countries are called upo n to contribute\ntowards the legal expenses of those facing prosecution\, spread awareness of\ntheir case\, and organise fundraising events in solid arity.\n\nIn the face of a system that organises exploitation and repressi on on an\ninternational scale\, our response can only be international sol idarity.\n\nNo one engaged in struggle should be left alone in the face of state repression.\n\nSolidarity is our weapon.\n\nVolkseten Vegazulu is a people’s kitchens existing since the very beginning of\nJoe’s Garage\, Ju ne 2005. Your donations are welcome. Food is vegan\, no\nreservation. All benefits go to social & political struggles. Joe’s Garage is a\nspace run by volunteers. Without a collective effort\, without your active\nparticip ation\, we’re remaining closed. Get in touch in you feel like giving a\nha nd. We’re always looking for cooks. Any help is welcome in the kitchen.\nE xperience not required. If you want to know which days are still available \,\nmail us.\n\nSince June 2005\, Joe's Garage is an autonomous squatted p olitical social center\,\na meeting place in the Transvaal neighborhood fo r squatters and non-squatters\,\nsubsidy free\, not for profit\, self-orga nized and entirely run by volunteers.\nhttps://squ.at/joe [https://squ.at/ joe]\nhttps://joe.squat.net [https://joe.squat.net] URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/solidarity-and-financial-support-for-th ose-arrested-in-athens-at-tempis-demonstration GEO:52.35556625;4.9249982 LOCATION:Joe's Garage - Pretoriusstraat 43\, 1092 EZ Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:activism,fundraiser,politics X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

From Tempi to Repression - A Call for Solidarity and Financial Support


This text is a call for solidar ity and financial support for those arrested during the general strike and demonstration held in Athens on February 28, 2026, three years after the Tempi train disaster, which is widely regarded by the protesters as a stat e crime.


Those arrested are due to stand trial in March 2027, fa cing serious felony charges that entail substantial legal expenses. By spr eading awareness of their case, the aim is both to inform comrades and col lectives outside Greece about the events and their political context, and to raise the financial support necessary to cover their legal costs.

 The Tempi State Crime and the Outpouring of Social Anger


On February 28, 2023, two trains travelling in opposite directions col lided in the Tempi region of central Greece, leaving 57 people dead and hu ndreds injured.


From the very first days, the Greek government a ttempted to portray the collision as the result of an isolated case of hum an error, downplaying the longstanding responsibilities of the state and t he companies involved in operating the railway system.


However, evidence soon began to emerge revealing the systematic deterioration of ra ilway safety. Remote traffic control and safety systems had not been compl eted, despite existing contracts and repeated warnings from railway worker s.


At the same time, the privatisation of railway services, carr ied out as part of the austerity policies imposed on Greece during the eco nomic crisis, had created a system of fragmented responsibilities in which profit was prioritised over human life.


Over the following year s, revelations concerning the alteration of the crash site, the handling o f evidence, and the unanswered questions surrounding the circumstances of the victims’ deaths reinforced the widespread belief that this was not sim ply an accident, but a state crime followed by attempts at a cover-up.


The victims’ families continued to demand answers, while anger spre ad across the country. On February 28, 2025, hundreds of thousands of peop le took to the streets of Athens and other Greek cities in one of the larg est waves of protest in recent decades.


 A Society Under St rain


For those facing prosecution, and for many others, Tempi is not an isolated incident of state negligence. It is the result of the sam e political and economic reality that has been undermining people's lives for decades.


Greece went through a profound economic crisis, dur ing which severe austerity measures, privatisations, and the deregulation of labour were imposed. The mass social struggles of that period failed to reverse this course, while the incorporation of social discontent into pa rliamentary politics led to even greater disillusionment.


In the years that followed, rising living costs, unaffordable rents, precarious employment, and the commodification of every aspect of everyday life becam e the norm. At the same time, state repression intensified, self-organised spaces came under attack, and public life became increasingly restricted.


The same state and capitalist logic that treats human lives as disposable is expressed, according to this political analysis, far beyond Tempi: in the deaths of migrants at Europe's borders, in police violence a gainst Roma people and migrants, in the destruction of the natural environ ment, in the eviction of squats, and in the displacement of residents from their own neighbourhoods.


A striking example is the Pylos shipw reck of 2023, in which hundreds of migrants lost their lives and serious q uestions were raised concerning the responsibility of the Greek Coast Guar d.


For us, these are not disconnected incidents. They are differ ent manifestations of a system that sacrifices human beings, communities, and the natural environment in the name of development, profitability, and the preservation of power.


From Mass Social Anger to Criminal P rosecution


The Tempi state crime sparked an enormous wave of soc ial anger, bringing hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets acros s Greece. The mobilisations were not limited to Athens but spread to numer ous cities, with mass demonstrations, strikes, and rallies.


Howe ver, despite its massive scale, a large part of the movement remained focu sed on demands for justice and the proper functioning of state institution s. Within this broader social movement, some participants, including those currently facing prosecution, expressed a different political position. T hey do not believe that crimes such as Tempi occur simply because state in stitutions fail to function properly. On the contrary, they argue that suc h crimes are consequences of the very way a system operates when it places economic and political interests above human needs.


On February 28, 2026, the third anniversary of the disaster, new demonstrations took place across the country. Among those participating in the Athens demonstr ation were the individuals who now face felony charges. Their participatio n was not solely an act of protest for the 57 people killed at Tempi, but also an expression of a broader political anger: for those who have died a t the borders, for the victims of police violence, for the neighbourhoods being lost, for autonomous spaces being repressed, for the natural world b eing destroyed, and for an everyday existence that is becoming increasingl y suffocating.


As they themselves explain, they chose not to con fine their anger to demands for institutional reform. They chose to resist police repression and confront the forces attempting to impose silence an d social peace. They do not see state violence as an exception, but as a f undamental mechanism through which the existing social order is maintained . And we stand with them in this.


Our anger is not limited to wh at happened on that particular day. It concerns the lives imposed on large sections of society every day, and the prospect of a future in which expl oitation, repression, and death are presented as inevitable consequences o f “progress”.


The Legal Case and the Call for Solidarity


During the demonstration of February 28, 2026, the individuals concerne d were arrested and subsequently faced serious felony charges. Their trial is scheduled for March 2027, and the legal expenses they are required to cover are substantial.


The financial burden of this case cannot be overlooked. In a context where criminal penalties and legal costs have increased, simply becoming involved in legal proceeding can place an enorm ous burden on anyone who chooses to struggle.


For this reason, a call for solidarity and financial support is being made. Financial contri butions, the organisation of benefit events, spreading awareness of the ca se, and building connections between collectives are meaningful ways to en sure that no one engaged in struggle is left alone in the face of repressi on.


This case does not concern Greece alone. Privatisation polic ies, the devaluation of human life, increasing surveillance, and the repre ssion of social resistance know no borders. Neither should our solidarity.


Comrades and collectives from other countries are called upon t o contribute towards the legal expenses of those facing prosecution, sprea d awareness of their case, and organise fundraising events in solidarity.< /p>

In the face of a system that organises exploitation and repressi on on an international scale, our response can only be international solid arity.


No one engaged in struggle should be left alone in the fa ce of state repression.


Solidarity is our weapon.


Volkseten Vegazulu is a people’s kitchens existing since the very beginnin g of Joe’s Garage, June 2005. Your donations are welcome. Food is vegan, n o reservation. All benefits go to social & political struggles. Joe’s Garage is a space run by volunteers. Without a collective effort, without your active participation, we’re remaining closed. Get in touch in you fee l like giving a hand. We’re always looking for cooks. Any help is welcome in the kitchen. Experience not required. If you want to know which days ar e still available, mail us.


Since June 2005, Joe's Gara ge is an autonomous squatted political social center, a meeting place in t he Transvaal neighborhood for squatters and non-squatters, subsidy free, n ot for profit, self-organized and entirely run by volunteers.
https://squ.at/joe
https://joe.squat.net

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