The protest began shortly after noon, when the first agricultural vehicles arrived at the site. A heavy police presence had been deployed in the area from early in the day, with officers blocking motorway entrances and exits to prevent tractors from entering the carriageway.
After successive talks between farmers’ representatives and the police, an agreement was reached shortly before 1pm allowing a limited number of agricultural vehicles onto the E65, accompanied by a temporary halt to traffic. The mobilisation culminated in a speech on the motorway by Kostas Tzellas, president of the United Federation of Agricultural Associations of Karditsa, and ended at around 1.30pm.
The protesters demanded the immediate payment of outstanding aid, full compensation for income losses from previous years, and lower production costs through measures including tax-free fuel for agricultural use, cheaper farm electricity and a cap on input prices.
They also called for the implementation of flood protection works and the cancellation of debts to banks and insurance funds, while raising the issue of accountability in the OPEKEPE scandal, citing serious dysfunction and a lack of transparency.
During the protest, Tzellas described the situation facing the farming community as suffocating, stressing that production costs remain extremely high despite the government’s promises.
Participants made clear that this mobilisation was not the end of their action but the start of a new cycle of demands, announcing further escalation immediately after Easter.
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