Over 6,000 tractors remain on major highways, with **farmers** continuing their mobilizations and **blockades** for the sixth day, while protests are expected to intensify in the coming days.
At 6:30 PM, farmers who had set up a blockade at the Malgara toll stations blocked the route to Thessaloniki, with the closure lasting until 8 PM. The route to Athens has remained closed since Monday.
At the Promachonas customs post, farmers allowed passage from 4 to 6 PM and then proceeded to block until 10 PM. Meanwhile, the Evzoni customs post will remain closed until the same hour. Farmers at the intersection 500 meters before the Exochi customs post have set up a blockade from 5:30 PM, lasting until 9:30 PM.
On Saturday, a new blockade is planned by **Magnesia** farmers on the PATHE highway at the height of Mikrothives. Farmers from Almyros and R. Fereos decided to move onto the road to create a strong blockade on the Athens-Thessaloniki PATHE highway, while mobilizations within cities are not ruled out, such as tractor parades and port occupations.
The largest blockade with over 2,000 tractors has been set up on the E65 highway at the height of **Karditsa**, while over 500 tractors are located at the Longos toll stations on the same road.
Farmers: Every form of escalation will be examined in the coming days
The **protests** are part of recent farmer actions to highlight problems in the primary sector and voice their demands. Their demands include reducing production costs and ensuring the viability of crops and agricultural activity. In the coming days, a meeting of the nationwide blockade committee in Nikaia, Larissa, will likely follow to examine every form of escalation.
Agricultural blockades set up at critical points in Central and Western Macedonia are being reinforced daily, despite the severe weather affecting many areas of the country. Meanwhile, daily general assemblies at the blockades determine the course of actions, examining the expansion of mobilization points and adoption of new forms of demands, with decisions made collectively, aiming, as farmers say, for coordinated and clear expression of the agricultural community’s demands.
Ministry of Agricultural Development “open” to dialogue with farmers
For his part, **Agriculture Minister** Kostas Tsiaras emphasizes that he has consistently kept communication channels open with the mobilized farmers. “We have said many times that the door of dialogue is always open. We have met with many organizations and associations and we are here to seriously and realistically examine which issues we can address and what the margins are for any other intervention.”
Surprise blockades on both directions of the Athens-Lamia National Highway
Farmers who had gathered in previous days in the Agios Ioannis area proceeded to block the Athens-Lamia national highway at the height of Thebes.
Within a short time, dozens of tractors reached the highway, surprising police forces and interrupting traffic. Traffic police are making diversions, directing vehicles heading to Lamia through Thebes and Livadia.
At the same time, Orchomenos farmers announce escalation. In their announcement, they note that the Livadia Agricultural Association, in coordination with farmers and associations from Aliarto, Vagia, Thespies, and Kastro, decided on mass transfer of all tractors on Sunday to the Kastro Boeotia area, aiming for a new national highway blockade.
**In Phthiotida, mobilizations were postponed to tomorrow Saturday due to the severe weather prevailing today.** The convoy is expected to start from Western and Eastern Phthiotida, as well as from Lamia, where there are already pre-gatherings with tractors. Similar participation has been decided from the areas of Amfiklia, Elatia, and Molos, while decisions are expected from Lokridas farmers, who are discussing possible inclusion in the mobilizations.
In Domokos, farmers who have strengthened their forces periodically close the old National Highway from Lamia to Domokos and Larissa as well as access to the E65 at the height of Xyniada.
Chronicle of tension at Thessaloniki’s “Green Lights”
The climate has been tense since morning in **Thessaloniki**, as farmer groups moved toward the “Green Lights” junction intending to set up a blockade to cut off access to “Macedonia” airport.
Police forces had deployed police vans, creating a barrier to prevent their passage. As ThessPost reports, the gathered farmers asked police to remove the barrier so they could continue their march and implement their plan.
During the incident of escalating tension, farmers proceeded with verbal attacks on police officers, while a tractor attack was also attempted, reversing abruptly at the “Green Lights” point, with one person heard saying “hit him.”
A case file was formed against the tractor driver, while according to ERT, the prosecutor was informed about a stone that hit an officer’s chest, who is hospitalized at the “424” General Military Hospital of Thessaloniki, without his life being in danger.
Marinakis: No tolerance for criminal behavior
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis commented on the incidents outside “Macedonia” airport between farmers and riot police. The government spokesperson reiterated that the government remains in favor of dialogue with farmers, however emphasized that phenomena like today’s, with tractors moving against police officers and the injury of a police officer during the incidents, cannot be tolerated.
