Greece: Thousands rally in Athens as farmers ramp up protests

In their largest-yet protest against growing expenses, thousands of Greek farmers gathered on Athens’ central square on Tuesday and parked tractors in front of parliament.

According to police estimates, at least 8,000 farmers with 130 tractors participated in the Syntagma Square protest, voicing concerns expressed at comparable protests in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and Italy.

The farmers announced that they intended to spend the night in the square.

Greek farmers, who already face high energy prices and production costs, claim that climate change-related weather patterns have also harmed them. Unpredictable flooding, intense heat waves, and wildfires have made their jobs more dangerous.

For weeks, they have been staging temporary road and border blockades while their unions have been negotiating extra financial aid and other relief measures with the conservative administration of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

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The farmers claimed that they traveled to Athens in order to exert pressure on the government, which has so far provided power bill discounts and extended the agricultural diesel tax rebate for a year, till the end of 2024.

In addition, they want protection from international competition, tax-free diesel fuel, and increased compensation for natural disasters.

Earlier on Tuesday, farmers cheered each other on and waved Greek flags as the caravan went past the final toll booths, which were located around 30 kilometers outside of the capital.

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The administration reaffirmed on Monday that while it had no financial space for more concessions this year, it was open to talking about a longer-term tax rebate program in the future.

(With agency inputs)