Greek farmers rise up and the KKE stands by their side

Photo: Eurokinissi

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has taken a clear, decisive position in support of the escalating struggle of poor farmers across the country. 

 

With a series of on-site visits to the roadblocks in Larissa, Karditsa, Trikala, Tirnavos and other areas, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, conveyed the Party’s full solidarity and its commitment to stand at the side of those fighting for their survival.

 

Mass farmers rally held outside the Greek Parliament

On 20 February, thousands of farmers from all over Greece, who have set up more than 50 roadblocks at the national road for a month now, arrived in Athens with dozens of buses and tractors and held a large march, which ended with a rally outside the Greek parliament.

The poor farmers were warmly received in the Greek capital by trade unions, university students’ unions, unions of the self-employed of the city, the Federation of Women of Greece and other mass organizations.

Greek farmers on the streets: General Secretary of the KKE Koutsoumbas expresses support and solidarity

KKE's General Secretary speaking to farmers in Thessaly

Blocking dozens of traffic arteries with thousands of tractors, the poor and middle-sized farmers in Greece are fighting for their future. They struggle to prevent their total extinction, to be able to continue ploughing and cultivating their fields and producing good and cheap food for all the people.

On Thursday 8/2/24, starting from the morning until late at night, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, GS of the CC of the Communist Party (KKE), visited 9 junctions in Central Greece and Thessaly, where farmers’ roadblocks have been set up. The farmers gave a warm welcome to the GS of the CC of the KKE.

Emblematic Greek farmer-unionist and former KKE MP Vangelis Boutas dies at 66

The farmers’ movement in Greece mourns the death of militant trade unionist Vangelis Boutas who died at the age of 66. A member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), who served as a Parliament deputy for KKE between 1996 and 2000, Boutas was for many years a leading figure of the struggles of lower and middle-class farmers. 

In a statement, the CC of the KKE expresses its deep sorrow for his death, pointing out that “comrade Vangelis had been an emblematic figure of our country’s farmers movement, a genuine, humble man, a pioneer militant”.

Greek police fired tear gas to demonstrators during Tsipras' speech in Thessaloniki

How did the government of SYRIZA respond to the thousands of workers, farmers, trade unions' members organized with PAME, students and other people who demonstrated against its antipeople-antiworkers policies in Thessaloniki? By ordering riot police to fire tear gas to protesters who wanted to express their disagreement with the "development fiestas" of Mr.Tsipras and his government!

More specifically, when the trade union's rally arrived at the area of the venue where the Prime Minister would deliver a speech, met strong police forces who had blocked the street. 

Greece's farmers converge in Athens to protest against government-EU policies

After 22 days in road blockades, small farmers are going to give a powerful response to the provocative intransigence of the government which has ignored their rightful demands. 

After a decision by the national committee coordinating the farmers’ protests, a large rally is scheduled to take place in Athens today as a way of pressure towards the government. Already, since the early hours of Tuesday, thousands of workers with their tractors and pick-up tracks, from all over Greece, began their route towards the Greek capital.

Solidarity with Greece's small farmers in their struggle against the SYRIZA and EU policies

Small farmers in Greece are back on the roads again. With their tractors of work and struggle, on the roadblocks, in order to survive. They are struggling, tooth and nail, in order to keep their fields and animals, so that their remain in their villages, so that we can sustain our families through our work in a decent way.

The struggle is inevitable for poor farmers. If they don’t struggle, they will be driven off their land, if they do not resist, they will be throwed on the bonfire of unemployment and destitution. 

Farmers from Tyrnavos, Central Greece, set the first blockade on Monday noon, while farmers from Karditsa, Trikala, Farsala, Larisa have scheduled to go out on the streets on Thursday. The protests and the blockades are to take place from South on the island of Crete and Peloponnese to the North in Central and East Macedonia and from East mainland like Magnisia to the West like Aitoloakarnania and Epirus.