The P.A.T.H.E. national highway near Platykampos was closed in both directions on Sunday as Greek farmers, on foot and with tractors, staged demonstrations demanding immediate compensation and long-delayed payments they say have been pending for months.
Tensions flared early in the afternoon as farmers in the Larissa region launched coordinated protests. According to plans set by the national blockade committee, convoys of tractors converged on the Nikaia junction from multiple areas. Others, arriving from villages along the Larissa–Volos stretch, moved toward the Platykampos junction, where some attempted to access the highway. Police responded with chemical irritants, and local media reported at least one farmer was detained.
Clashes at Nikaia Junction
Hostilities also flared at the Nikaia junction, where farmers tried to overturn a police vehicle. Under pressure, they held tense talks with the regional police chief, threatening to escalate unless allowed a full blockade. A scuffle then broke out, leading police to use chemical agents again.
A significant police presence, including multiple rapid-response units from northern Greece and even from Rhodope, has been deployed to the scene.
Meanwhile, farmers in Magnesia staged a symbolic blockade at Rizomylos on the old Volos–Larissa highway, signaling their intention to move onto the main national road to enforce a broader shutdown.
Protesters cite severe delays in payments owed by the agricultural payments agency OPEKEPE, along with soaring production costs and persistently low market prices for their goods.
Escalation in Karditsa
Clashes also erupted in Karditsa, where hundreds of farmers in tractors pushed through a heavy police cordon to enter the E65 highway during coordinated union actions. The union’s president blamed the government, saying farmers are fighting “a struggle for survival” amid unpaid dues, soaring production costs, low buyer prices, and inadequate infrastructure.
Traffic Disruptions
Police have enforced traffic diversions across multiple routes due to the blockades. The General Police Directorate of Thessaly announced a full suspension of traffic along the P.A.T.H.E. motorway between the Sikourio interchange (km 362+061) and the Kileler interchange (km 331+686) in both directions as of 12:55 p.m. on Nov. 30, with the closure to remain in place for as long as necessary.
