ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Thousands of angry farmers from across Greece converged on central Athens on Friday, driving dozens of tractors to parliament, horns blaring, for an overnight rally to protest what they say is the government’s failure to address problems threatening their ability to produce crops.
Police blocked off central streets in the Greek capital and accompanied the tractor motorcade through the center of the city as it made its way to central Syntagma Square in front of the parliament building, the traditional focal point of protests in Greece.
Farmers have been protesting for months over high production costs, low prices for their products and delays in the payment of European Union-backed subsidies.
The payment delays came as authorities reviewed all requests following revelations of widespread fraud claims for EU farm subsidies. Protesters have argued that the delays amounted to collective punishment, leaving honest farmers in debt and unable to plant their fields for next season.
Livestock breeders, who have seen their flocks decimated by mass culls due to an outbreak of sheep and goat pox, have joined the protests, which began in November.
After weeks of tractor blockades along major highways and border crossings that caused traffic and transportation chaos, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with farmer representatives last month. The government made a series of concessions, including fuel tax rebates and cheaper electricity rates.
But while the farmers dismantled their roadblocks, they say the government failed to address many of their problems.
“Our struggle continues, because our basic demands weren’t satisfied,” Rizos Maroudas, head of a farmers’ union of the central Greek region of Larissa, told Greek state television ERT Friday, adding that cheap imports were undermining Greek products.
The government, he said, had the financial ability to resolve the farming community’s problems “but it doesn’t have the political will to do it.”
Early last month, farmers escalated their protests with a 48-hour blockade of major highways, toll stations and junctions over high production costs and the European Union’s trade deal with South American nations. The EU-Mercosur agreement seeks to progressively remove duties on almost all goods traded between the two blocs.
Friday’s protesters have vowed to spend the night at the rally, staying outside parliament until Saturday.