Tension is high at this hour in Nikaia and Platykampos, where police used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to stop farmers attempting to take their tractors onto the national road network and block traffic. Protesters have already closed the E65 junction towards Karditsa and Trikala, while at the same time in Platykampos, their colleagues pushed toward the police blockade, resulting in scuffles. One person was detained in Platykampos.

The farmers in Nikaia eventually entered the national road via the side road, on foot.

Farmer roadblocks begin with clashes with the police: Tear gas in Nikaia and Platykampos

Watch video from the clashes at the Nikaia junction

During the clashes, well-known farmers’ unionist Christos Sideropoulos collapsed on the roadway after inhaling tear gas. Police moved in to arrest him, as he is the leader of the mobilization. His colleagues rushed to give him first aid, and he was later taken by ambulance.

In Platykampos, farmers lifted a police patrol car and smashed its windshield in order to break through the police blockade:

Watch videos and photos from the tension between farmers and police in Platykampos

A little earlier, tractors began moving toward the Nikaia junction.

Starting today, Sunday, November 30, farmers and livestock breeders across the country are taking to the roads with hundreds of tractors, following decisions from the nationwide meeting held a week ago in Nikaia, Larissa. From today until December 5, tractors will appear at key points on the national road network, and there will also be blockades at ports and customs offices.

The farmers of Thessaly essentially open the cycle of mobilizations, demanding the immediate payment of compensations and funds that they claim have been delayed for months. At the same time, they express strong dissatisfaction with last Friday’s basic subsidy payments, as many producers in Thessaly believe they received far less than expected, while others say they received nothing at all or saw their payments “disappear” due to automatic deductions by ELGA.

Watch videos and photos from the Nikaia roadblock

Farmer mobilizations begin with roadblocks in Larissa, Karditsa and Trikala

Gathering points from 8:00 a.m.
With visibly heightened determination, farmers from Magnesia are heading to the large Nikaia roadblock, the first major farmer front of the season in Thessaly. Gatherings began at 08:00 in Karavoma, at 10:00 on the Volos Ring Road and at Pedion tou Areos. At 11:00, tractor convoys gathered on the old Volos–Larissa national road, near Rizomylos, from where they are moving together toward Nikaia, forming one of the largest farmer marches in recent years. Producers emphasize that this is a pan-Thessalian mobilization of indefinite duration, aimed at highlighting the problems of small and mid-sized farmers.

Roadblocks in Nikaia and Karditsa – Focus on the E65
In Larissa, farmers are setting up one of the two major roadblocks today at 13:00, on the Thessaloniki–Athens national road, at the Nikaia junction. Farmers from Larissa, Farsala, Magnesia and Tyrnavos are participating, declaring their determination to get onto the highway and proceed with blocking the national motorway (PATHE).

In Karditsa, tractors are lining up at the E65 highway junction, while new gatherings are expected at the Megalochori junction in Trikala. Farmers from Trikala have already decided to set up a roadblock this coming Wednesday, also considering the possibility of blocking the E65. Additionally, another roadblock is likely in the prefecture of Trikala by farmers from the Zarko area, on the Larissa–Trikala axis.