THOUSANDS of protesters are expected to gather in 12 towns and cities across Greece this evening after hundreds of migrants were feared missing when a boat capsized as they tried to reach Europe.

Greek rescue ships were operating in the central Mediterranean to search for people who may have been trapped below deck of a fishing boat that was travelling from Libya to Italy.

So far, only 104 people have been rescued while at least 78 have been confirmed dead.

With the vessel reportedly carrying between 700 to 750 people, including children, the tragedy could be one of the worst ever instances in the region.

Keerfa, a coalition of anti-racist movements, labour organisations, trade unions and solidarity groups, called today’s protest to demand that the Greek government opens the borders and welcomes refugees.

It said in a statement: “[This] is not an accident, it’s the mass murder at the hands of [out-going Prime Minister Kyriakos] Mitsotakis and the EU-fortress.”

The protests were expected to take place after the Morning Star went to print.

On Wednesday morning, at 2.04am local time, the boat went down about 50 miles south-west of Pylos, according to the Greek coastguard.

EU border agency Frontex said it had spotted the boat early on Tuesday afternoon and immediately told Greek and Italian authorities.

Greece authorities said that the offers of aid were refused.

But Alarm Phone, an emergency helpline for migrants in trouble at sea, said that the coastguard was “aware of the ship being in distress for hours before any help was sent,” and that authorities “had been informed by different sources” that the boat was in trouble.

The network said it was contacted by people on the vessel asking for help shortly after 3pm, who said “they cannot survive the night.”

Around 6.20pm, migrants reported the vessel was not moving and that the captain had abandoned the ship on a small boat, according to the group.

It said that people may have been scared to encounter Greek authorities because they were aware of the country’s “horrible and systematic pushback practices.”

Last month, the Greek government came under international criticism over video footage showing the forceful removal of migrants who were set adrift at sea.

Jerome Tubiana of Doctors without Borders said that European and Greek authorities should both have intervened earlier.

He said: “It’s really shocking to hear that Frontex flew over the boat and no-one intervened because the boat refused all offers of help … an overloaded boat is a boat in distress.”

Mohamed Abdi Marwan from Kobani, a Kurdish majority town in north-eastern Syria, said that five of his relatives were on the boat, including one who 14 years old.

Mr Marwan said he has heard nothing about his relatives since the vessel sank.

He believes his nephew Ali Sheikhi, 29, is alive, after family members spotted him in photos of survivors, but Mr Marwan said friends are still making their way to the makeshift camp in Greece to confirm.

Mr Marwan said that only 500 people were supposed to be on board.

“What is this? Are they cattle or humans? How can they do this?” he said.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and promised to strengthen co-operation between the EU and nearby countries to try to further crack down on migrant smugglers.

But human rights groups argue that the crackdown has forced migrants and refugees to take longer and more dangerous routes to reach safe countries.