As the government felt it prudent to try and diffuse the situation, they were all found innocent. Several more of the protesters were arrested, and 62 eventually stood trial. In the end two protesters were killed at both Kileler and Tsoular-four in total-and numerous unarmed agrarian workers were injured. When word got to Larissa, there was disruption there too. To regain control, the officer in charge ordered the troops to fire in the air this having no effect, they eventually began shooting at the peasants.įurther down the track, trouble had broken out at nearby Tsoular (modern Melia), where the train did not stop to pick up more protesters. Once off, the crowd began throwing stones at the leaving train. Also on board was the military, and there was a considerable police presence at the railway stations to keep order.ĭuring the fracas that broke out over the non-payment of the tickets, the protesters were ordered to disembark. As an additional form of protest, they declined to pay for their tickets.

On 6 March 1910, a crowd of around a thousand koligoi (landless farmers or serfs) boarded a train at Greece’s Kileler bound for Larissa 28 kilometres away to attend a protest meeting demanding agrarian reform.

Empire total war ottoman