Greek farmers blocked large roads and ferry services with their tractors on Wednesday to show their mounting opposition to the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) government’s plans for a fresh round of pension reforms.

The largest blockade was at Tempi, northern Thessaly, where farmers drove 1,000 to 1,200 tractors from Larissa, the capital of Thessaly’s regional unit. They arrived shouting slogans and pledged to remain in the area until January 28.

Agricultural Development and Food Minister Vangelis Apostolou was ambushed by farmers during his visit to Komotini, northeastern Greece, where he remained trapped in a building of the Regional Unit of Rodopi for more than twelve hours while egg-weilding, stone-throwing farmers protesting outside pledged to keep the minister trapped unless he withdrew the government’s pension bill. Apostolou was finally able to leave the building following the intervention of the riot police.

Earlier, there were meetings between Apostolou and a delegation of farmers from the northern Greek border regions of Rodopi and Evros. Leaving the meeting, farmers said that they asked Apostolou to withdraw the social security bill that the government is planning. Farmers’ representatives stated that they are not willing to enter dialogue on social security reforms as Apostolou had requested.

BLOCKADES AROUND THE COUNTRY

Tempi, Thessaly – More than 1,000 tractors have closed the national highway and protests will escalate by noon on Saturday with farmers stating that the course of protests will depend on initiatives to be taken by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

Laconia, Peloponnese – A blockade is being prepared by the Agricultural Association of Eastern Mani that has called its members to take to the streets and create a blockade near the village of Aigies at the Sparta-Gytheio national highway.

Argolis, eastern Peloponnese – 15 tractors and other farm vehicles with black flags rallied through the city.

Thessaloniki, Macedonia – Farmers that had blocked the Delta region with 500 tractors from early in the morning left the region by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. They moved from Delta to the toll gates at Malgara and set up a road block there and state that they will remain in the region for as long as they deem it necessary.

Kerdyllia, Seres, northern Greece – A road blockade consisting of more than 700 tractors and other farming equipment has been set up in the region blocking traffic from both directions.

Farmers block Greek-Bulgarian border

Farmers carried out a brief half-hour blockade of the customs office at Promahonas, near the border crossing from northern Greece to Bulgaria. Tractor convoys had earlier blocked roads at koboti, Arta, center of the Ioannina region in northwestern Greece but roads were open in the afternoon.

A rally is being organized in Arta on Saturday morning.