At the Nikaia blockade, farmers decided that on Friday 23 January they will hold a rally with tractors in Larissa and then withdraw from the site. According to reports, a new nationwide meeting of the blockades is expected to take place in around 15 days, in order to decide the next steps.
The coordinated withdrawal comes after the fruitless meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which farmers say did not address their core demands. Scenarios now being discussed include a large rally in Athens, local demonstrations across the country, or even a coordinated “siege” of the capital.
On the E65, farmers will meet on Wednesday at noon at the Sofades cultural centre together with representatives from 60 villages that participated in the Karditsa blockade, in order to take final decisions. At the same time, the option of convening a new national conference within 14 to 20 days remains open, with a proposal for a mass rally in Athens as part of an escalation in different forms.
The president of EOASK, Costas Tzellas, underlined that no farmer is satisfied with the government’s response and announced a large agricultural rally in Syntagma Square, to be preceded by a nationwide meeting of the blockades.
In statements to the media, Tzellas said that everything farmers have won so far is the result of the 52 days on the blockades and stressed that the struggle will continue as long as there are unresolved issues threatening their survival. He added that the withdrawal will be organised in the same coordinated way as the descent to the blockades, making clear that mobilisation is being redefined, not abandoned.
Across the country, blockade committees are assessing the situation and preparing new forms of action. At the Kastro blockade, tractors will begin leaving at noon on Friday following a general assembly decision, while a nationwide coordination meeting is expected. In Atalanti, tractors are scheduled to depart from Friday morning, while in Bralos the withdrawal will begin at 10:00 on Friday after a late-night assembly decision. In Evia, farmers have already removed tractors from the High Bridge of Chalkida and are awaiting decisions on how to continue their demands in the coming period.
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