Farmers determined to remain at roadblocks until Christmas – Which roads are closed

Farmers are determined to celebrate at the roadblocks, maintaining a tough stance with their tractors now on the national highways every day.

Specifically, in addition to the roadblocks set up at the Nikaia junction in Larissa, in Malgara, Thessaloniki, at the Evzoni customs office, and on the E-65 motorway in Karditsa on Monday evening, farmers in Rodopi closed the Egnatia Highway at the western Komotini junction in the direction from Alexandroupoli to Xanthi. Traffic was diverted in Imathia, Evzoni, and Nea Chalkidona in Thessaloniki.

At the blockade in Nikaia, farmers are constantly reinforcing their presence with new tractors and machinery. After yesterday afternoon’s meeting, it was confirmed that they will escalate their protests, while new arrivals from villages in Larissa and Magnesia are already planned for today with the aim of further increasing their presence at the blockade.

As Socrates Aleiftiras, vice president of the Larissa Federation of Agricultural Associations and press representative, told NEWS 24/7, “another 200 tractors are expected to arrive, and then we will appoint the coordinating committee”. He noted that their actions will be coordinated with other farmers who are mobilizing across the country and stressed that they are waiting to see how the blockades will be set up in Greece in the coming days.

Asked to comment on the government’s indirect threats that the police will take over to keep the roads open, he strongly condemned the statements made by government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis. “To the comment that ‘there is no excuse for closing the road’, we respond that there is no excuse for stealing our money for seven years, nor for the fact that we have been in default for six months,” he added.

The president of the Larissa Federation of Agricultural Associations, Rizos Maroudas, told the assembly that “we have paved the way for the rest of Greece. Police repression has not prevailed. Greece will be filled with roadblocks at key points on the national highway, at customs offices, and wherever pressure can be exerted on the government to meet our just demands for survival”.

Farmers from Farsala, Tyrnavos, Elassona, Platykampos, and other areas of Thessaly are at the site, with traffic on the national highway blocked and the traffic police diverting traffic via detours.

The farmers at the Nikaia blockade reiterate that they will not leave until there are substantive responses to their demands, which concern high production costs, low product prices, and the need for timely payment of subsidies.

At the same time, local livestock farmers will gather early today, Tuesday, in the central square of Larissa to distribute milk to passersby.

In parallel with the reinforcement of the blockade in Nikaia, farmers have decided to make a strong showing at the Larissa courts on Thursday, December 4, where their colleagues who were arrested during the incidents of the previous days will be giving their statements.

Specifically, an organized delegation will go to the Larissa Courthouse to support the defendants and demand their acquittal.

The blockade assembly on the E65 motorway in Karditsa also decided to reinforce the blockade and escalate the protests. As Kostas Tzellas, president of the United Federation of Agricultural Associations of Karditsa, told NEWS 24/7, there are nearly 2,000 tractors and more are expected to arrive in the coming days. Tomorrow, the United Federation of Agricultural Associations of the Prefecture of Karditsa is expected to hold a broad meeting with representatives of all agricultural associations in the Karditsa region to determine their course of action.

“The crowd is growing. We are waiting to see how the rest of the roadblocks in the country will be set up. We are determined not to back down,” he commented.

In Serres, a new roadblock is expected at Promachonas from midday on Wednesday, set up by farmers, livestock breeders, and beekeepers who participated in the General Assembly on Monday evening in the Leukona area.

Farmers from the prefecture of Kilkis used their tractors to block the entrance and exit of the Evzoni customs office. The police had set up a roadblock, but the farmers, who know the area well, managed to pass through the fields and close the entrance to the customs office.