Producers to gather in Malgara as Movement’s next steps to be decided

As farmers assess the possibility of expanding their protests in the new year, attention has turned to a nationwide meeting scheduled for Sunday, January 4, at 12:00 p.m. in Malgara, where representatives from across the country are expected to convene.

According to state broadcaster ERT, farmers and livestock breeders representing more than 50 blockade points nationwide will come together at the meeting. Producers who welcomed the new year beside their tractors are expected to take critical decisions on the future direction of the protests during this gathering.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that some groups favoring direct dialogue with the government will not attend the Malgara meeting. Representatives of the farmers’ blockade in the “Green Lanterns” area of Thessaloniki stated that they remain insistent on holding urgent talks with the government. Group officials said the blockade has been strengthened and preparations for a negotiation agenda are ongoing.

In the Nikea area of Larisa, the blockade coordination committee is set to meet on Friday, January 2, while a general assembly of farmers who have been active in the field for 33 days is scheduled for Saturday.

Blockade Committee: “We Will Not Step Back”

In a statement issued by the committee coordinating the farmers’ blockades, the protests were described as legitimate and widely supported by society. The statement argued that government pressure, attempts at discrediting the movement, and what it called symbolic dialogue initiatives have failed, instead reinforcing farmers’ determination.

The committee called on all blockade points to participate in the January 4 Malgara meeting, based on decisions taken at their respective general assemblies. It stressed that the next phase of the movement would be determined at this meeting.

“We will not retreat, and we will not leave with our heads bowed. Our struggle is a struggle for survival,” the statement said.