Greek Farmers Block Country's Highways Protesting Harsh Economic Measures

Greek farmers staged on Monday demonstrations across the country by blocking roads with their tractors, protesting against tax increases, Greek Reporter news portal reported.

ATHENS (Sputnik) — At around 10:30 a.m. local time (08:30 GMT) farmers drove their tractors and other agriculture vehicles to the Kouloura junction not far from Veroia town in northern Greece.

Greek farmers rev up engines to block highways across country https://t.co/AIUco1ksfT pic.twitter.com/hFx0Y6DYAX

— dailyhellas (@dailyhellascom) 23 января 2017 г.

The farmers intend to join protests at the central square in Veroia and then go back to the Kouloura junction to decide on further action.

The protests are expected to continue on Tuesday, the publication reported.

Greek Farmers Cancel Border Blockade https://t.co/bT8RXPJEn4 pic.twitter.com/cFBMgS3Cz5

— SWAN PRESS AGENCY (@swanpressagency) 23 января 2017 г.

The protests are taking place amid Greece struggling with its dire financial situation. Greece's international creditors signed an agreement with Athens in mid-2015, approving a third bailout package worth about $98 billion in exchange for austerity reforms such as pension cuts and tax hikes.

Greek citizens have been responding to the unpopular austerity measures with a series of strikes affecting various sectors of the country's economy from agriculture to mass media.

In January 2015, Greek farmers organized a nearly month-long protest by blocking transport routes across the country in protest over tax and pension system reforms demanded by Greece's international lenders. Nearly 100 makeshift roadblocks then impeded movement across Greece’s borders with Turkey and Bulgaria.