Greece Sues Protesting Farmers

Greek farmers line-up their tractors to block the highway near Larissa, central Greece, 18 January 2010. Thousands of farmers use their tractors to block the highway net throughout Greece, demanding better prices for their products. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The prosecutor's office in the town of Thessaloniki has launched legal proceedings against the militant Greek farmers, who used tractors and farm machinery to block crossings with Bulgaria and Macedonia in the first widespread protests against the socialist government’s austerity policies.

In a document, sent to the police headquarters at Thessaloniki, the prosecutors say that hampering road traffic constitutes a crime and that in order for the law to be abided by legal prosecution is needed.

Protestors set up barricades of farm vehicles at several junctions on the main north-south highway linking Thessaloniki with Athens, diverting hundreds of TIR trucks to secondary roads.

Bulgarian authorities warned transport companies to stay away from the Greek border crossing and threatened to approach Brussels, seeking compensations for the losses, incurred on the Bulgarian companies.

The protests are expected to continue until the end of the week despite the warning of the Greek and Bulgarian authorities.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!