Masked youths threw petrol bombs and clashed with police in front of the Greek parliament today.

Huge crowds gathered for a demonstration to mark the second anniversary of the country's worst rail tragedy, AFP reports.

Nearly 200,000 people gathered to demand justice for the 57 victims of the crash between a freight and passenger train near the central city of Larissa on February 28, 2023.

But much of the crowd, including children and the elderly, was forced to flee when masked and hooded attackers hurled petrol bombs and stones, prompting riot police to use tear gas and stun grenades in response.

Police then used water cannon as youths set fire to garbage bins and smashed bus shelters and shop windows. More than 40 arrests were made.

The ambulance service reported that 9 people were taken to hospital, including a photographer hit in the head by one of the grenades. 

Several people were treated for their injuries in parliament.

When the peaceful protest resumed, many shouted "murderers", and there were also cries of "justice" and "resignation", apparently directed at Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Opinion polls show that most Greeks believe officials covered up important evidence after the crash, delaying the investigation, which is still ongoing.

"The truth will come out and justice will come, bringing a lot of oxygen to us and our children," Maria Karstianu, president of the Tempe Victims Association, whose daughter died in the crash, told the crowd.

Earlier, police said about 325,000 people had protested across the country. 

Overcrowded metro trains in Athens forced many to walk several kilometres to join the crowds.

Schools, many shops, public services, trains, ferries and most flights were closed, and there were protests in other European countries and cities around the world with large ethnic Greek populations, such as New York and Melbourne.

In a rare move, justice officials observed a minute of silence and an hour-long work stoppage before noon in memory of the victims. 

Several well-known artists joined the protest, shutting down theaters and music clubs.

More than 40 people have been charged, including the local stationmaster who was in charge of train movements, but a trial over the tragedy is not expected before the end of the year.

The two trains ran opposite each other on the same track for miles without setting off any alarms. Faulty equipment and human error have been blamed for the accident.

The government has rejected accusations by opposition parties that it is behind an "orchestrated plan" to shield senior officials from accountability.

"The public is angry because it has been misled," government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said this week.

"One of the goals of much of the opposition is to cause tension, an explosion, through misinformation," he added. | BGNES