Farmers vow Athens tractorcade will go ahead, despite minister’s appeal

Farmers will stage a tractorcade rally in Athens on Tuesday despite Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis requesting that they not do so, protesting farmers’ representatives have said.

Earlier, the minister had called on farmers to use buses or private cars to reach the capital instead.

However, Giorgos Diamantopoulos, a farmer representative from Central Macedonia, said the tractor was an agricultural tool that is used, for protests, “by our colleagues across Europe.”

“Whatever happens, we intend to bring the tractors, which will number 200 to 300,” Diamantopoulos said.

The farmers, frustrated by high production and energy costs as well as government inaction on relief efforts following catastrophic flooding last September, declared their intention to take their tractors to Athens at a meeting on Thursday near the town of Larissa in central Greece. 

In addition, they said they will continue with their blockage of highways, harbors and border crossings for a few hours Tuesday.