“We cannot understand why they prevent us from moving on. We left our tractors at Corinth, and police stopped us again here ” said the farmers of Peloponnese, who were stuck on the highway at Chaidari for hours since riot police did not allow them to pass through so as to participate in the mass protest in the center of Athens.

Finally at 3.30pm police forces allowed the farmers to pass through on the condition not to drive their tractors to capital’s center. But, they stopped them again after covering 500 metres.

Earlier violent episodes broke out between the farmers and riot police, when police forces prevented them from heading to Athens with police throwing tear gas.

The farmers were heading from Peloponnese to Athens in order to participate in the protest rally scheduled to take place in the centre of Athens.

Police did not allow the farmers to pass through driving their tractors and professional vehicles to Athens and the farmers reacted.

Police threw tear gas to the farmers, while the farmers started throwing rocks causing damage to a police car.