Farmers rise up again: A new blockade announced at the port of Thessaloniki

Greek farmers are expected to arrive today at the port of Thessaloniki, as part of the second phase of their protest mobilizations. According to information from the “headquarters” set up at the blockades in Nea Malgara and at the “Green Lights,” the movement toward the port will begin in a coordinated manner after 10:00 a.m., with the objective of blocking it.

Entry into the port will take place according to the instructions of the Traffic Police, in order to avoid traffic chaos. It still remains unclear whether farmers will be allowed access to the ThPA premises, as well as at which points the tractors will be positioned or how long they will remain there. In addition to agricultural vehicles, participation is also expected from citizens arriving from other regions of the country.

Meanwhile, a day earlier, farmers from Crete held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis and the Minister of Rural Development, Kostas Tsiaras, where they presented their demands. Both officials pledged to examine the requests and address some of them, stressing that agreements with the European Commission cannot be exceeded. The parties have agreed to meet again today at 11:30 a.m.

This week marks an escalation of the protests, though with more moderate tone. Farmers aim to send a clear message to the government, without pushing the situation to extremes.

The government has reopened the window for dialogue, requesting that all farmer blockades be represented in today’s meeting. On the other hand, farmer representatives emphasize that they do not accept “meetings for tea and sympathy,” but demand concrete guarantees.

Before any dialogue, they call for the announcement of a clear support package for the primary sector, mainly related to reducing production costs. This includes cheaper agricultural electricity, tax-free fuel, and interventions on the low prices of certain products that have severely affected their income.

“KORÇA BOOM”