A lengthy manifesto has been published on Athens Indymedia, claiming responsibility for the detonation of a backpack near the offices of Hellenic Trains, Greece’s main railway company, on Friday evening (12 April). There were no injuries but some minor damage was caused in the explosion. The manifesto referenced the Tempi train disaster, in which 57 people were killed, and which sparked mass protests in Greece earlier this year, followed by riots on its anniversary.

According to police, the backpack exploded at 9:35 p.m., 42 minutes after anonymous calls to two media organisations warned of a device set to detonate in the location, stressing it was “not a prank”. While police states it “judged the incident as a serious threat”, clearing the area and evacuating the building as well as a nearby hotel, the backpack was allowed to pop without examination by the bomb-squad called to the site. The device was described as a “makeshift low-powered watchtime mechanism”.

Using the moniker “Revolutionary Class Self-Defense”, also used in the micro-bombing of Greece’s Ministry of Labour on 3 February, 2024, the manifesto dedicated both actions “to the Palestinian people and their heroic resistance” as well as honuoring “Kyriakos Xymitiris and to all those who fell fighting on the path to the social revolution”.

The manifesto accuses the government and Hellenic Train of covering up the true causes of the Tempe train disaster, by attributing it to human error and using it as an excuse for further privatisations. It criticises the government for not prosecuting Hellenic Train and for continuing to allow the company to operate the railway, effectively taking political responsibility for the disaster.

The manifesto calls for continued class struggle and organisation, suggesting that the only way to achieve justice and safety for workers is through collective action and revolutionary change. The document also mentions solidarity with the Palestinian people and the intensifying international antagonisms, linking the struggles in Greece to broader global conflicts.