Farmers in Greece escalate roadblock protests over Christmas (videos)

“No to dialogue, Yes to blockades!” For one more time, a meeting of protesting farmers and livestock breeders ended with the decision  to not join to a dialogue with the government and to continue the blockades of highways and national roads during the Christmas and New Year holidays when Greeks hit the roads to visit their villages or spend a few days outside the big cities.

Video: Surrounded by their tractors protesters at the roadblock of Thiva in Viotia lit their Christmas tree on Wednesday.

“If necessary, we’ll spend Christmas in the blockades,” several protesters told media after the crucial meeting in Serres, northern Greece, on Thursday.

“The government has to come with specific measures,” they stressed.

At the same time and not wanting to lose the support of the society, they reassure holiday-travelers that they will not proceed to full blockades over the weekend and the days after December 23, when schools will be closed and families on the roads, and at least until December 26.

Sixty-one representatives of farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen, and beekeepers participated in the meeting of the Panhellenic Blockade Committee in Lefkonas, Serres and decided to further escalate their protests, stating that they are disappointed with the government’s failure to respond to their demands.

At the same time, they said that they will spend the Christmas and New Year holidays at the roadblocks set up across the country, but will facilitate the movement of citizens. As decided, both during the weekend and on the holidays, the toll booths will be open so that travelers can pass freely and without inconvenience. As the representatives of the roadblocks reiterated, their goal is not to turn society against them, but to continue their struggle by demanding effective solutions for the future of the primary sector.

The representatives called on the Prime Minister to provide immediate solutions to their demands, pointing out that if the government wishes to maintain agricultural activity in rural areas and support a sustainable agricultural sector, it must take substantive action.

Sources at the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, commenting on farmers’ decision to escalate their protests, stressed that there is “ yes to dialogue, yes to reasonable demands within the framework we have outlined, but no to escalation and disruption to society”. The same sources added that “ we have demonstrated in practice that we care about all those involved in the primary sector”.

Meanwhile, the farmers continue also they protest actions beyond the road blockades and they left hay and hay outside the offices of Civil protection Minister Ioanni Kefalogiani and PASOK lawmaker Manoli Hnari in Rethymno, Crete.

With these actions they expressed their anger and outrage about the disappearing of the subsidies from their accounts in an unprecedented fiascoas KTG reported yesterday.