Farmers across Greece are showing their clear intention to continue farmer protests, planning to spend Christmas at the blockades. However, they clarify that during the holiday period, roads will remain open for free passage of holidaymakers, while today and tomorrow they are opening the toll booth barriers near the blockades.
At the same time, they send a clear message that they will not enter dialogue without concrete commitments regarding their demands, with the government responding that out of 27 demands, 16 have already been resolved or are on a positive trajectory.
Farmer protests: Nikaia blockade lifts toll barriers over weekend
On Saturday, farmers from the Nikaia blockade have decided to lift the barriers at Makrychori toll booths from 11 AM to 2 PM, something that will be repeated on Sunday. The farmers plan to distribute agricultural products to passing drivers, wanting to show that their products are sold at low prices, according to ERT.
Yesterday, after the symbolic blockade that began at 4 PM on Friday and lasted until 7 PM, during which kilometer-long queues of trucks and passenger cars formed, all bypass roads in the area are open and will remain so over the weekend.
Siatista Kozani blockade reinforced
The Siatista blockade was reinforced with 200 tractors and traffic is being diverted through bypass routes. Yesterday afternoon in Siatista, both the Egnatia and National Highway were closed for two hours, creating very long queues of trucks that were not allowed to pass. Meanwhile, vehicle passage to and from Ioannina, Kozani and Thessaloniki continued normally.
The decision taken by the Siatista blockade is to proceed with opening toll booths not only at Xirolimni and the Siatista junction, but also at Polymylos toll booths, where the heaviest traffic is recorded.
For Monday they decided on at least a 24-hour blockade of trucks and commercial vehicles from the area, with the road closing again for two hours. However, they declare they are determined to remain at the blockades and emphasize that passage during the holidays will be free, but they will consider their moves after Christmas, when they might proceed to a more general blockade, always in coordination with their national body.
Both directions closed at Malgara
At Malgara, both traffic directions are now closed. From 7:30 PM yesterday, the direction towards Thessaloniki was also closed for all cars, which had been open for only two hours because their colleagues had closed the Chalkidona junction on the old Thessaloniki-Edessa National Highway and they didn’t want to cause traffic congestion by closing trucks at the Chalkidona level. This plan will remain until Tuesday, when they will open to allow Christmas travelers to pass.
Evzones remains closed four hours each day, six to ten until Christmas Eve. Derveni will participate in hourly blockades daily and on Saturday will conduct an action at Oraiokastro toll booths, opening the barriers from 12 PM to 3 PM. Farmers at the Green Lights decided to stay at the blockade to spend Christmas there without moving to block the Thermi junction.
Chaliki Aetoloacarnania: Two hard blockades
At the Chaliki position in Aetoloacarnania, Western Greece is cut in two, with immovable blockades on the Ionia Highway and Olympia Highway. On Friday evening the bypass road, the Old Antirrio-Ioannina National Highway, opened.
The farmers and livestock breeders of Aetoloacarnania are determined and after many days at Angelokastro they went with their tractors and also closed this bypass road. As they state, they will continue during the holiday period, but with toll booths open. Another hard blockade, that of the Olympia Highway, continues to be there and according to ERTnews information, today farmers and livestock breeders will make a move in favor of citizens.
Chalkida: Blockade at the High Bridge
Evia farmers closed the road at the High Bridge yesterday at seven in the evening for three hours, while for the first time they also closed bypass roads. On Saturday from 6 to 8 PM, Evia farmers will proceed with exactly the same pattern, while on Sunday in coordination with Central Greece farmers they are determined to go to the Afidnes toll booths, where they will lift the barriers for vehicles to pass freely.
Regarding the following days, for Monday and Tuesday, they have scheduled new mobilizations of longer duration and naturally with closure of all bypass roads at Chalkida’s high bridge and around the bridge.
Nikaia farmers blocked Platykampos junction
Tractors and farmers from the Nikaia blockade reached the Platykampos junction shortly after 4:00 PM on Friday and blocked traffic until evening while there was another point a few kilometers away, on the old Larissa-Volos National Highway, at Achilleio height, where farmers with machinery and tractors also blocked traffic.
On Saturday, an intervention is scheduled at the Evangelismos toll booths, where farmers will lift the barriers as part of the mobilization while on Tuesday the decision to facilitate holidaymakers will be implemented.
Thebes: Farmers immovable at blockades
Tractors continue to be deployed on the National Highway while bypass roads remain open in the Thebes area.
The National Highway is closed from the Ritsona junction in the direction towards Lamia, while in the direction towards Athens it is closed from the Martinos junction. Vehicles transporting students pass freely.
Samos: Farmer blockade at Kokkario junction opened – Will determine stance in new meeting
Shortly after 9 PM on Friday (19/12) the road opened after remaining closed since three in the afternoon, with short intervals during which farmers allowed vehicle passage. The Pan-Samian Agricultural Association had set up a blockade with a new decision, with participation of farmers from across the island, at the Kokkario junction. The mobilization was supported by the Labor Center as well as members of the Teachers and Kindergarten Teachers Association.
The Association will meet in the coming days to determine its further stance.
