ATHENS – Greek farmers rode some 200 tractors to the capital, Athens, on Tuesday, demanding financial assistance from the government as the cost of living spiked in the Mediterranean country.

With horns blaring, the slow-moving convoy departed from the central Greek town of Kastro, 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) northwest of Athens. Greek flags, black flags, and protest banners were fastened to the tractors, with one reading: “Without us, you don’t eat.”

Symbolizing their plight, some farmers carried mock coffins and funeral garlands as they parked their tractors in front of the parliament building in the capital, where tourists usually gather to watch the changing of the guard ceremony. They also waved flares while chanting: “Don’t bow your heads.” Several thousand protesters made their way to the city center after traveling on chartered buses and ferries.

The farmers, whose demands mirror those of widespread farmer protests elsewhere in Europe, have spent weeks staging sporadic blockades along highways and in rural towns. Furthermore, farmers in central Greece are still reeling from major floods that hit central parts of the country last fall.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in a television interview late Monday, stated that he could not support additional tax breaks and concessions but insisted that his center-right government wanted to continue discussions with the protesters.

The government retracted a previous threat to block the protest, and police were deployed to help divert highway traffic.

On Wednesday morning, the protesting farmers concluded their rally at Syntagma Square. At least 6,500 participants, with over 160 tractors and agricultural machinery, were estimated to be present at Syntagma, while 112 buses transported farmers from several regions to Athens.

Their consistent demands included a lower fuel price, a drop in electricity cost to 7 cents/KW, and subsidies for fertilizers, animal feed, and equipment. They argued that the measures announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis when he met with the Panhellenic Blockades Committee were insufficient.

Farmers also expressed concerns about cheap imports from non-EU countries of questionable quality being resold at higher prices as Greek products. They questioned the source of milk when their animal capital was reduced and noted the falling prices paid to farmers.

The protesting farmers concluded their rally at Syntagma Square on Wednesday morning, and as scheduled, they departed from Athens at 11:00 am. They intended to hold general assemblies at the blockades on Thursday to inform other farmers and decide on future mobilizations.

Thessaly farmers mentioned their expectation of meeting with the prime minister in the coming week, specifically to discuss the Thessaly plain that was devastated by the storm ‘Daniel’.