Cretan farmers opt to leave port

    Up to 2,000 farmers from Crete that arrived at the port of Piraeus on Monday morning with the intent to hold a tractor rally through downtown Athens on Tuesday finally decided to leave the port, Greece's largest, after authorities continued to prevent their vehicles' exit.

   

    In deciding to depart, however, farmers' representatives said they would continue their rallies back in Crete.

   

    Earlier, farmers attempted to break through riot police ranks, with police using teargas to disperse the protestors. Scuffles briefly broke out after a second group of Cretan farmers arrived in Piraeus to join a first group that had arrived the preceding day.

   

    On Tuesday, main opposition PASO leader George Papandreou met with farmers holed up at the port of Piraeus.

   

    Papandreou, in a brief statement, characterised the conditions as unacceptable and condemned the government's stance on the farmers.

   

    The leader and former foreign minister left the port shortly afterwards.

   

    Meanwhile, in the extreme north of the country, local farmers continued blocking the Promahonas border crossing on the frontier with Bulgaria, stressing that they will not withdraw their tractors.

   

    The border crossing remained closed on Monday and was briefly opened only for one hour early in the morning when trucks with perishable goods were allowed to cross the border into Bulgaria. Traffic is backed up on both sides of the borders.

   

    Later in the afternoon, SYRIZA Parliamentary group leader Alekos Alavanos is expected to visit the farmers' blockade in Promahonas.

   

    Groups of farmers around the country have demanded cheaper fuel, greater VAT rebates, guaranteed crop prices and a freeze on farm loan payments, amongst others.

   

    Gov't spokesman

   

    Speaking during a regular press briefing in Athens, government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros commented on the main opposition party's stance vis-?-vis farmers' mobilisations, saying that "the government will not, under any circumstances, follow PASOK in its intended efforts to create artificial political tension."

   

    Antonaros made the statement in response to a PASOK spokesman, who demanded resignations for the developments at the port over the past 48 hours.

   

    "It is not acceptable, and I am sure that PASOK will agree on this too, even if it has not stated so, for a rally with heavy machinery to take place in downtown Athens," he added.