Protesters hurled petrol bombs and set fire to trash cans in Athens on Friday as hundreds of thousands of Greeks went on strike and took to the streets in nationwide demonstrations on the second anniversary of the country's deadliest train crash.

Greek mass protests and a general strike Friday marking the second anniversary of a deadly train disaster morphed into violent Athens clashes between police and hundreds hooded, black-clad young protesters.

The protests have been fueled by public resentment against the conservative government’s perceived inaction on making train travel in the country safer. The crash killed 57 people.