Farmers start to leave roadblocks

Thousands of farmers across Greece abandoned on Saturday the roadblocks they had manned over the last few weeks in protest at proposed tax and pension reforms.

Farmers drove their tractors home after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras held talks during the week with representatives of dozens of roadside pickets and promised some improvements to the plan put together by the government.

“We are disappointed by the results of the meetings with the prime minister but we leave with our heads held high and a clear message that it is not over yet,” Nikos Volkos, the head of a roadblock on the Egnatia Highway in northern Greece told the at a news agency. “We will remain on standby.”

Some farmers vented their frustration at SYRIZA MPs on Saturday. One group of protesters threw eggs and tomatoes at the Igoumenista office of lawmaker Marios Katsis, while another demonstrated outside the Drama office of another leftist deputy, Christos Gondias.