For nearly a month, farmers had maintained a virtual shutdown of the country's main transportation arteries. They are demanding higher prices for their products to guarantee them a living income, cheaper fuel, rescheduling of $1.3 billion in debts to banks and other financial institutions, and lower value added taxes (VAT) on farm equipment.

On December 22, representatives of the coordinating committees of struggle in the provinces of Thessaly and Thrace announced that the roadblocks would be lifted prior to the Christmas holidays.

A statement from the groups said the action was taken "in order to not turn against us public opinion that has supported us for 25 days." Days earlier, the coordinating committees of northern Greece had announced a suspension of the mobilizations in that part of the country.

The social democratic government of Prime Minister Constantínos Simítis had carried out a massive slander campaign against the farmers. Using the media, the regime of the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) tried to portray the revolt as a minority movement harming the interests of the majority in the country, especially working people in the cities. It also threatened to bring criminal charges against the protesting farmers.

Employers encouraged confrontations between truckers and farmers at the roadblocks and the Council of the Union of Industrialists in northern Greece asked the government to declare the blockades illegal.

After the suspension of the protest actions, Simítis said government officials would meet with farm leaders.

Farmers, workers march on parliament
On December 20, thousands of working farmers had participated in a protest rally and a march to parliament in Athens to press the PASOK government to yield to their demands.

The farmers, most of them cotton producers, came to the Greek capital from as far away as Ioánina, Kardítsa, and Lárissa -urban centers in the middle of agricultural areas in northern and central Greece that were at the center of the struggle.

Thousands of workers, including garment and textile, construction, shipyard, and airline workers, participated in the farm protest in their respective union contingents. Dozens of college and high school students also took part. The most popular chant was, "Farmers, workers, students: one fist!"

Leaders of farm coordinating committees told demonstrators that their aim was to press the Simítis regime to open negotiations on their demands.

The day before the march, government spokesperson Dimítrios Réppas said that the prime minister "will not hold a dialogue with the farmers as long as they have the roads blocked." The government welcomed the suspension of the blockades two days later.

At a meeting with representatives of the protesting farmers on December 23, Simítis reiterated his position that the government will not retreat from its austerity budget or agree to support farmers' declining income through subsidies.

Responding to the prospect of new mobilizations in January, the prime minister said, "There are no victors or defeated."

Representatives of the coordinating committees of Thessaly and northern Greece said they will organize further actions in January if their demands are not met.  
 
 
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