Farmers preparing Valentine’s Day rally in Athens

Farmers protesting changes to the social security system and tax hikes are planning a special Valentine’s Day gift for the government, scheduling a rally in downtown Athens on February 14.

Dozens of tractors and pick-up trucks are expected to descend on the Greek capital for a gathering in front of Parliament that will bring much of the city center to a standstill.

The decision to escalate ongoing protests was taken on Tuesday at a meeting of the committee supervising the farmers’ actions, and also includes gatherings outside farmers’ social security funds in every prefecture of the country.

The protesters are already proving a headache for the government, as they’ve blockaded key highway junctions and border crossings over the past two weeks, causing traffic problems on the national road network and preventing cargo from crossing into neighboring Albania, Bulgaria and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.