Image Credits - Fox News
Greek farmers escalated their protests on Tuesday, marching in large numbers in the capital city. Over 200 tractors gathered at Syntagma Square outside the parliament in Athens, while around 60 buses transported farmers from various regions of Greece to the city.
Additionally, over 200 protesters arrived by boat from Crete Island. The farmers are demanding that the government accept a set of requests they presented to the prime minister in a meeting the previous week. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated in an interview on Monday that the government has already exceeded the farmers’ expectations and that there is limited fiscal space for further measures.
Banners on the tractors expressed sentiments such as “Livestock farming died today” and “No farmers, no food, no future.” The protests mirror similar grievances expressed by farmers in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, and Italy. Despite weeks of negotiations with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government, Greek farmers feel that the measures announced thus far do not adequately address their concerns.
On Monday night, farmers parked their tractors and pickups along highways in central Greece before gathering at a meeting point, where they spent the night before travelling to Athens. On Tuesday morning, numerous farmers arrived by boat at Piraeus port from Crete, with more expected to come by bus from various regions across Greece.
