ATHENS, Greece (AP) – On Sunday, a new militant group claimed responsibility for a bomb explosion that occurred in early February, which was planted near the Ministry of Labor and close to the offices of Hellenic Train, the main railway service operator in Greece.
The explosion on Friday evening resulted in minor damage and no injuries. The perpetrator had forewarned the media by calling two organizations about 40 minutes prior to the incident.
In a detailed post on the website Athens.indymedia.org, the individuals who termed themselves the revolutionary class struggle elaborated on their motives.
The bombing was dedicated to “Palestinians and their heroic resistance,” and they also paid tribute to Kyriacos Xymitiris, who died last year when an explosive device detonated in an apartment in Central Athens.
This explosion occurred amidst widespread outrage over Greece’s deadliest railway disaster in 2023, which resulted in 57 fatalities and numerous injuries when a passenger train collided with a freight train due to human error.
The tragic event highlighted serious deficiencies in the Greek railway system, including safety protocols, triggering significant protests led by the families of victims against the Conservative government on the second anniversary of the accident.
In a statement resembling a manifesto, the revolutionary class struggle connects such accidents to what they label as the “murder” of the proletariat through workplace incidents caused by capitalists.
Greece has a historical backdrop of politically motivated violence since the 1970s, with extremist factions frequently executing minor bombings that result in property damage but seldom in injuries.
Though many of the most active groups from the 1980s and 1990s have been dismantled, new smaller factions have emerged, and authorities refer to them as a new generation of domestic extremists.
“Because the blood wasn’t dry yet, they attributed the (train) accident to human error and the ‘chronic flaws of the Greek state,’ effectively calling for unrestricted capital movement, increased privatization, and further assaults on remaining state-owned assets,” stated the extremist group.
Hellenic Train, which operates passenger and freight services, was previously a subsidiary of the state-owned Hellenic Railways. It was separated in 2017 and sold to the Italian firm Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.
Police have stated that they are pursuing leads, including surveillance images of one or two suspects and possible phone communications.
Source: apnews.com