More than 1,000 farmers blocked streets with 50 tractors in Thessaloniki on Feb. 19, in an attempt to breach security cordons near a venue where Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was speaking. They displayed black flags and flashed emergency lights, and they also briefly clashed with police.
Like farmers throughout Europe, Greek farming associations have been protesting for several months, demanding government support, including for “crop losses caused by climate change.” The recent demos began in Thessaly, central Greece, where farmers are still struggling with the aftermath of devastating floods in late 2023, according to Ekathimerini. There were larger farmers demonstrations last year in Athens and other major cities.
