Furious farmers clashed with riot police in Greece on Monday amid a protest over the delays in the payment of subsidies. Tensions escalated in the Cretan city of Chania where farmers blocking the road to the entrance of an airport were confronted by strong police forces who used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Protesters were reportedly denied access to demonstrate in the area of the airport; however, they broke through the police blockade, which led to large-scale incidents. 

According to a local media outlet, Neakriti, chemicals and stones were thrown as a Greek police van was overturned by protesters. A police officer and a passerby were reportedly injured, and response vehicles were struck with sticks and stones as farmers attempted to pass through the police line.

Protests have also broken out in other areas across the southern Greek island of Crete, as agricultural workers have fumed over the delays in receiving European Union-backed agricultural subsidies.

Images from local media show dozens of farmers at Nikos Kazantzakis International Airport in Heraklion, which has led the airport to suspend flights.

On the mainland of Greece, thousands of angry farmers have used their tractors to attempt to block border crossings and key points along the country’s highways. This includes the country’s northern borders with Bulgaria, Turkey and North Macedonia, leading to widespread traffic delays.

Riot police clashed with protesting farmers on Friday who blocked the road access to the international airport outside the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. Between 200 and 300 farmers with more than 100 tractors blocked one of the roads, as a smaller group attempted to break through a police cordon.

Tensions have risen over payment delays which have come as authorities review requests of fraudulent claims for EU farm subsidies. In response, demonstrators claim that payment delays equate to punishment, leaving farmers cash-strapped and unable to plant their fields for the next season.

Farmer Vasilis Mavroskas told euronews: “We’re out in the street (protesting) whereas we should be sowing. We’re bankrupt.”

He added: “It’s a matter of survival at this point. If I stop producing, think of what will happen at the table of urban centres. We’re appealing for society to join us.”

Michalis Chrisochoidis, the minister for public order, warned farmers against the shutting down of major transport points this week, but added the government is open to talks with protest leaders.