Panos Ruci, the father of one of the 57 victims of the Tempi train disaster, has returned to Syntagma Square in central Athens, announcing that he will remain there each night following the recent parliamentary amendment concerning the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Ruci said he fears that the names of the Tempi victims, painted in red outside Parliament as a symbol of remembrance, may be erased.
“The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a symbol of memory and honour for those who were lost unjustly. The children of Tempi belong to that memory. Rather than erase their names, they should make sure such tragedies never happen again,” Ruci stated.
He expressed concern that efforts are being made to silence or disperse members of the group “Until the End” (Μέχρι τέλους), which has been organizing peaceful vigils at the site since the deadly crash.
Ruci called on the government and police to refrain from using violence against demonstrators, urging empathy and respect for the victims’ families.
“Mr. Prime Minister, I beg you—don’t harm these people, these children. And towards the police, I would say this. If they were your own, what would you do? Don’t strike innocent people. We are here peacefully. We honour our children,” he said, standing at the spot where his child’s name is written in red paint.
