site.btaGreek Farmers Block Promachonas Border Crossing, Main Passenger Entrance to Thessaloniki Port

Protesting Greek farmers have once again blocked the Kulata-Promachonas border crossing on the Bulgarian-Greek border, Greek public broadcaster ERT reported on Friday. No trucks are allowed through in either direction. The blockade is scheduled to continue until 8 p.m. local time.

The report also states that students and pensioners have expressed their support and solidarity with the protests of farmers and livestock breeders.

The online edition of the Kathimerini newspaper reported that protesting farmers reached Thessaloniki port and blocked the main passenger entrance for three hours. Greek police forces were on site. The publication said that farmers and livestock breeders from all over Northern Greece, carrying black flags, symbolic coffins and loud horns, are taking part in the protest.

The report said that farmers from the blockade at Chalkidona headed to the Malgara toll station, where they joined their colleagues for a motorized rally to the port. A similar tractor convoy also set off from the blockade at a road junction near Thessaloniki, which has often been the venue for protests and demonstrations.

The protesters' next steps will be decided at regional meetings and a national meeting of blockade representatives scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Nikaia, near Larissa.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, quoted by local media, called for dialogue, announcing that next Monday he is ready to meet representatives of the protesting farmers. Mitsotakis added that this year’s subsidy payments to farmers are higher than last year’s.

The demonstrations were sparked by delays in the payment of agricultural subsidies following a corruption scandal at Greece’s agricultural payments agency OPEKEPE, despite the government having begun partial disbursement of the subsidies.