Farmers from northern Greece took to the streets on Wednesday morning and are reportedly moving their tractors to various junctions on the national highways, as part of their protest.
The president of the nationwide coordinating committee of farmers and stockbreeders Christos Gondias told the Athens-Macedonia News Agency that by noon most tractors will be in place, after which point general meetings will be held locally to decide on their next coordinated actions.
The farmer protest was triggered by changes in the taxation and pensions in the farming industry as part of the latest bailout agreement approved in Parliament. Although farmers have enjoyed various benefits and tax breaks in the past and do not outright reject an increase, given the country’s dramatic state of finances, they claim that the changes are unreasonable and will end up stifling growth.
