Despite information suggesting a significant change in the “composition” of the crowd expected at Syntagma Square on Saturday afternoon, marking three years since the tragic Tempe railway disaster, the Hellenic Police are ready to deploy the proven formula of 2025 to prepare for potential incidents. We are almost 24 hours away from the third anniversary of the harshest tragedy in recent decades, and the police force is on standby to manage the situation. Major rallies in dozens of cities across the country, but especially in the capital, have activated police reflexes as they prepare to deploy at least 4,000 officers on the streets once again. This force constitutes the core of the units that will be mobilized from early Saturday morning, without excluding last-minute adjustments.
Police orders for absolute security coverage of the major rally marking three years since the Tempe tragedy
The order is clear and calls for absolute security coverage of the major rally commemorating three years since the railway tragedy at Tempe, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the police actions of 2025 serve as a guide for 2026. Officers from riot police units (MAT), special forces (YAT), and motorcycle units (YMET) will be at the center of law enforcement procedures if their intervention becomes necessary. Beyond that, State Security will be responsible for trying to separate the wheat from the chaff at an early stage through preliminary checks at key points. Traffic police will establish the perimeter and their role will be crucial in the sense that, depending on crowd size and potential incidents, they will provide directions to help other services (ambulance services, fire department) intervene.
Furthermore, special operational roles are expected for the motorcycle police units (DIAS) and rapid response teams (DRASI), depending on how the gathering develops, while anti-terrorism units will play a supportive role. Regarding operation oversight, this will be conducted through the Operations Center, both through communication with officers in the field and through imagery transmitted by drones and police helicopters.
Special vehicles will also be on standby, including traffic police cranes and the so-called “water cannons.” The operational activity of all police forces will be supervised by a competent prosecutor.
It should be noted that both political and operational leadership expect results similar to last year’s regarding the operational actions of police forces. Given the unprecedented public presence in 2025 and the level of difficulty in managing the situation, the “formula” was deemed completely successful and only requires some necessary corrections based on the experiences gained last year. After all, in 2025 it was the infiltration of organized football fans combined with anarchist elements that triggered extensive incidents, but only after the end of the gathering.
