Helena Smith

We've seen extraordinary scenes here in Athens today. First of all, an incredible demonstration in the square that is the site of the Greek Parliament. Tens of thousands of people gathered there. In a first, they weren't chanting themselves hoarse. They were silent, most bending their heads in honour of the dead.

We've seen extraordinary scenes here in Athens today. First of all, an incredible demonstration in the square that is the site of the Greek Parliament. Tens of thousands of people gathered there. In a first, they weren't chanting themselves hoarse. They were silent, most bending their heads in honour of the dead.

This is the anniversary, the second anniversary of the country's worst ever rail disaster that saw 57 mostly young students die in an accident that many in Greece believe was entirely preventable and is down to systemic failures, the failure of the state to provide even basic services like a modern railway system.

This is the anniversary, the second anniversary of the country's worst ever rail disaster that saw 57 mostly young students die in an accident that many in Greece believe was entirely preventable and is down to systemic failures, the failure of the state to provide even basic services like a modern railway system.

That's absolutely right. Barely had the relatives of the victims finished addressing the crowds when clashes erupted across the square in what appears to have been a very well-coordinated plan to disrupt an otherwise peaceful protest with black But much of Central Athens has been turned into a war zone, pitch battle between riot police and these rock lobbying youths.

That's absolutely right. Barely had the relatives of the victims finished addressing the crowds when clashes erupted across the square in what appears to have been a very well-coordinated plan to disrupt an otherwise peaceful protest with black But much of Central Athens has been turned into a war zone, pitch battle between riot police and these rock lobbying youths.

There have been extraordinary scenes even around the Greek Parliament today. The report on Thursday, which suggested there are still a lot of failures, haven't been rectified.

There have been extraordinary scenes even around the Greek Parliament today. The report on Thursday, which suggested there are still a lot of failures, haven't been rectified.

Well, the government has said that it will act on this, that its plan is to create a modern railway system, but it's been very slow. What has stoked so much of this public outrage here in Greece is this sense of a government cover-up and that

Well, the government has said that it will act on this, that its plan is to create a modern railway system, but it's been very slow. What has stoked so much of this public outrage here in Greece is this sense of a government cover-up and that

In the days after the state moved very, very quickly to clean up the scene of the tragedy, removing what could have been very vital evidence, including, if you can believe it, human remains from the site of the crash by gravelling and cementing it over. None of that has helped assuage this public sense.

In the days after the state moved very, very quickly to clean up the scene of the tragedy, removing what could have been very vital evidence, including, if you can believe it, human remains from the site of the crash by gravelling and cementing it over. None of that has helped assuage this public sense.