Videos of a large crowd in Thessaloniki have resurfaced on social media with claims that Greece has ground to a halt. Posts assert that airports, ports, factories and trains have stopped, and that the country is in the grip of massive protests. The footage is real, but it is not recent.
The clips were originally posted in February 2025, during nationwide demonstrations marking the second anniversary of the Tempi rail disaster. On 28 February 2023, a passenger train collided with a freight train near Tempi in central Greece, killing 57 people. The tragedy sparked widespread anger and demands for improved railway safety.
Those anniversary protests were accompanied by a general strike that disrupted flights, ferries and train services. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in more than 300 cities and towns across Greece and abroad, calling for justice for the victims. That was in February 2025, not in September of this year.
Why the footage is being recycled
The resurfaced videos do not indicate any new shutdown. They are being shared out of context, possibly to amplify a narrative of instability. This is not an isolated case: fake protest videos have been circulating across Europe, often aimed at stirring political tensions.
The Tempi disaster remains a painful and unresolved issue in Greece. A criminal trial began in Larissa in March and is ongoing, with 36 defendants – including a station master and senior railway officials – facing charges linked to the collision and the deaths. Relatives of the victims continue to testify and seek answers.
There were indeed protests in Greece in September, but they were of a different nature. On 5 September, thousands gathered in Thessaloniki to demonstrate against the rising cost of living, demanding higher wages and pensions. The protest coincided with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' annual economic address in the city.
According to police estimates cited by the Associated Press, more than 25,000 people took part in the Thessaloniki demonstration. Unions and civic groups called for urgent action on incomes, reflecting broader concerns about affordability across the eurozone.
While the September protests were significant, they did not bring the country to a standstill. The viral videos are from February, and their reuse is misleading. As with other disinformation campaigns seen elsewhere in Europe, the aim appears to be to exaggerate unrest and undermine public trust in institutions.
For readers, the key takeaway is to verify the date and context of footage before accepting claims of paralysis. Greece is not shut down; it is a country grappling with real economic pressures and the long shadow of a national tragedy, but the images being shared are not evidence of a new crisis.
