Families Honour Tempi Tragedy Victims at Protest

The news in Greek

Την Κυριακή το βράδυ, στην Αθήνα, έγινε μια συγκινητική¹ αγρυπνία² για τα θύματα³ του δυστυχήματος⁴ των τρένων στο Τέμπη. Συγγενείς και φίλοι συγκεντρώθηκαν για να τιμήσουν τη μνήμη των αγαπημένων τους. Έγραψαν τα ονόματα των θανόντων⁵ με κόκκινη μπογιά για να ζητήσουν δικαιοσύνη⁶. Η εκδήλωση ήταν ειρηνική και γεμάτη πόνο.

συγκινητικός
που προκαλεί συναισθηματική φόρτιση ή συγκίνηση ↩︎
αγρυπνία (f.)
αγρυπνία είναι η τελετή που πραγματοποιείται τη νύχτα για να τιμηθεί κάποιο γεγονός ή πρόσωπο ↩︎
θύμα (n.)
άτομο ή ζώο που έχει υποστεί βλάβη λόγω ενός γεγονότος ή ενέργειας ↩︎
δυστύχημα (n.)
ξαφνικό γεγονός που επιφέρει ζημιές ή θάνατο ↩︎
θανών (m.)
άτομο που έχει πεθάνει ↩︎
δικαιοσύνη (f.)
η έννοια της ηθικής ορθότητας και της αμεροληψίας ↩︎

Translation

On Sunday evening in Athens, a poignant vigil was held for the victims of the train accident in Tempi. Relatives and friends gathered to honour the memory of their loved ones. They wrote the names of the deceased in red paint to demand justice. The event was peaceful and filled with sorrow.

Text comprehension

Question 1: What did the families and friends do to honor the victims in Athens?

They held a vigil and wrote the names of the victims with red paint.

Question 2: Why did the participants write the names of the deceased with red paint?

They did it to demand justice for the victims.

Vocabulary

Greek	English
συγκινητικός	`emotional`
αγρυπνία (f.)	`vigil`
θύμα (n.)	`victims`
δυστύχημα (n.)	`accident`
θανών (m.)	`deceased`
δικαιοσύνη (f.)	`justice`

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Read the full story

A poignant vigil was held in Athens on Sunday night, as relatives of the victims of the Tempi train disaster gathered by the Unknown Soldier monument to commemorate their loved ones. This event, which featured a symbolic act of writing the victims’ names in red paint, aimed to highlight the ongoing quest for justice and accountability.

The tragedy, which occurred earlier this year, has spurred continued public outcry, with the slogan “Tempi was not an accident, it is a crime” echoing through the protests. Organisers called for a peaceful demonstration, focusing not only on the lives lost but also on perceived systemic failures.

Families Honour Tempi Tragedy Victims at Protest

Vasilis Chatzicharalambous, who lost his son in the tragedy, expressed deep frustration and grief, stating, “Our democracy feels as if it has been murdered alongside our children.” His words resonated with many attendees, who used the gathering as a space for collective mourning and protest.

The police kept a respectful distance, allowing the event to proceed without incident, a stance that was appreciated by those gathered. Attendees included a mix of grieving relatives, active citizens, and survivors of the crash, all united in their call for change.

As night fell, family members and supporters solemnly painted the names of the deceased onto the pavement, a powerful reminder that the impact of the Tempi disaster continues to reverberate through Greek society. The gathering served as a significant moment of solidarity and reflection, marking yet another chapter in the ongoing struggle for recognition and justice for the victims.

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