Farmers protesting against planned pension system reforms on Wednesday carried out a brief half-hour blockade of the customs office in Promahonas, at the border crossing from northern Greece into Bulgaria
Tractor convoys had earlier blocked roads at Koboti in Arta and the center of Ioannina in northwestern Greece, but the roads were opened by the afternoon. Protesting farmers returned to Ioannina without their tractors at 6 pm for a rally, while a rally is being organized in Arta for Saturday morning.
Agricultural associations in Thesprotia and Preveza are also preparing to launch protests in the next days.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Larisa farmers turned out in protest in Thessaly, with a tractor convoy heading toward the pass in Tempi. By order of the police, the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway was closed to traffic from noon, from the Gyrtoni junction to the Stomio junction, so that the tractor convoy could reach its destination. Traffic was diverted onto alternative routes.
In Macedonia, farmers with 750 tractors threatened to block the Kerdyllia junction on the Egnatia highway “indefinitely” while those in Drama blocked the Kokkinogeia junction to Exohi.
Farmers with tractors also turned out to support a protest by fishermen in the city of Thessaloniki and protests were held in Crete, Fthiotida, the Peloponnese and other areas of the country.
Protesting Greek Farmers Clash with Police in Komotini
Greek police in Komotini clashed with hundreds of farmers who were protesting against Minister of Rural Development and Food Vangelis Apostolou who refused to speak to them.
The farmers held a rally outside the Rhodope Prefecture headquarters where Apostolou was visiting today to talk with regional authorities. The minister changed his visitation program and went to the Rhodope Region headquarters.
The farmers gathered there as well and asked for the minister to come out and talk to them. Apostolou refused to come out of the building which infuriated the farmers, with some of them attempting to enter the building by force. The riot police pushed them away and farmers threw smoke bombs, coffee cups and eggs at them.
Police replied by throwing teargas at farmers who insisted on entering the building. Some of the protesters managed to force their way into the building, with policemen using teargas inside.
Finally, the minister agreed to meet with a farmers delegation to discuss their complaints and requests.
(with information ana-mpa)
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