A rise in tempo of protests over austerity measures and high costs in Greece has resulted in clashes between police and farmers. On Monday (11th February), protesting farmers resumed daily blockades of motorways across Greece, in response to government silence over their demands for a reprieve from the worst effects of austerity cuts.

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Protests resumed on Monday, in the same vein as earlier sporadic blockades conducted in solidarity with striking sailors. Farmers on tractors blocked major roads once a day for an hour at a time, mostly in Northern Greece.

Earlier in the month, farmers distributed free food at a 'mock market' held outside the Ministry of Agriculture. Some also distributed food to stranded motorists during road blocks. On Wednesday, however, events took a turn for the worse at a protest on the A1 motorway, when police used tear gas on the protesting farmers and their supporters; two police and four farmers were reported to be injured following a clash and police made 11 arrests.

Strikes and demonstrations against austerity measures have become commonplace in Greece, where the crisis-stricken government is introducing increasingly severe cuts and attacks on labour laws to  satisfy neoliberal financiers in the EU and International Monetary Fund, who are providing financial bail-outs.

The protesting farmers oppose measures which will result in lower pensions, higher taxes and privatisation of the agricultural bank. There is also widespread anger over serious delays in subsidy payments to farmers and government plans cut in fuel subsidies at a time when fuel prices in Greece are high and rising.

Nevertheless, the conservative-led coalition government is standing by its "policy of fiscal adjustment and discipline, across all sections of government," which it claims is working.