Twenty days ago, tractors were leaving the roadblocks on the national highways, but farmers made it clear they would return with different forms of protest, hinting at a march to Athens.

Today, hundreds of tractors from across Greece will arrive at Syntagma Square, with the first tractors from Thessaly already loaded onto trucks that will transport them to Afidnes, from where they will proceed in convoy toward central Athens.

The first to arrive in Athens for the rally scheduled for 4 p.m. were about 200 farmers from Crete, traveling on ships that docked at the port of Piraeus shortly after 6 a.m.

At 4 p.m., they will hold a rally in central Athens, once again demanding solutions to issues such as high production costs, compensation for lost income — mainly in cotton but also in rice — as well as convincing measures to eradicate sheep pox, which has led to the loss of more than 500,000 sheep. This is the second time the capital will see tractors in Syntagma Square. Farmers were there in 2024 as well, spending the night with their tractors, as they will also do today before departing early Saturday morning.

By road, as well as by trucks and buses

Farmers have planned their march to Athens in every detail. Those who wish to participate can travel by bus, arriving from all corners of the countryside, reaching Omonia Square at around 2 p.m. From there, rally participants will head toward Syntagma Square.

From distant regions, the tractors taking part in the rally will be transported loaded on trucks. They were loaded early in the morning at designated points and are expected to arrive in Afidnes around noon, where they will be unloaded. In this way, tractors from Thessaly, Bralos, and other remote areas will reach Athens.

In Afidnes, tractors arriving by road from Kastro in Boeotia and from Evia will also gather, and with police assistance they will all proceed together into central Athens toward Syntagma Square. Reports indicate that tractors from nearby areas of the Peloponnese may also reach Athens by road.

According to the plan, the rally will last about two hours, but the tractors will depart the following morning, beginning their return journey.