Farmers across Greece are pressing ahead with widespread road and border blockades despite severe weather brought by storm “Byron,” which has swept across the country. Their mobilization is growing, and organizers say Friday marks a key deadline for setting up new blockades, following a decision by the nationwide coordinating committee.
The protests escalated sharply on Thursday, with road blockades expanding to new regions and creating widespread transport disruption. Demonstrators, who remain firm in their demands, used tractors and even moved on foot to block major highways, while long queues of trucks formed at key border points.
Major Highway Blocked in Western Greece
One of the most significant disruptions occurred on the Patras–Pyrgos route in western Greece, where farmers in the Achaia region reinforced their blockade. Traffic was diverted to an older national road, as attempts by farmers to enter the main motorway were blocked by police. Protesters eventually crossed on foot and shut down both directions of the highway.
Demonstrations Spread to Urban Centers
In central Greece, farmers from the Nikaia blockade drove their tractors into the main square of Larisa, surrounding the courthouse ahead of the trial of two protesters arrested during clashes with police the previous Sunday.
Meanwhile, in Thessaloniki, farmers continued blocking the Malgara toll station, keeping the southbound lane toward Athens closed.
Border Chaos: Thousands of Trucks Stranded
Blockades at border crossings caused major delays for international freight. At the Promachonas crossing on the Bulgarian border, an estimated 1,000 trucks were immobilized on Bulgarian territory, waiting to enter Greece.
During the night, farmers briefly opened the route to allow some trucks through, before closing it again shortly after midday. According to Kostas Alexandris, president of the Agricultural and Livestock Association of Alexandroupolis, only limited numbers of trucks carrying perishable goods, such as seafood, are being permitted to cross into Greece.
A similar pattern unfolded at the Kipi border crossing in the northeast, where blockades also reopened for a short period before being reinstated.
Additional blockades were reported at the Niki crossing near Florina, while the roadblock at Trikala expanded with another 50 tractors positioned at the Longos tolls.
New Blockades Form Across Achaia
Three new roadblocks were set up in the Achaia region—at the Kourlampa junction, in the Diaselo area, and near Patras’ industrial zone—as farmers attempted to reach a newly inaugurated section of the highway.
Farmers in Corinth also blocked the tolls at Kiato with tractors. A scheduled meeting between government ministers and representatives of farmers from Crete was cancelled after protesters insisted that all local MPs should be present.
