Overview
- Dozens of farmers breached the apron at Heraklion International Airport, forcing a temporary halt to flights before protesters allowed limited operations to resume.
- Chania airport saw access blocked and cancellations before protesters permitted departures at intervals, with local reports citing two injuries and an overturned police vehicle during clashes.
- Riot police used tear gas and stun grenades on Crete and at other choke points as thousands of tractors and trucks mounted nationwide blockades on highways and at border crossings with Bulgaria and Turkey.
- The unrest follows delays in EU-backed agricultural subsidies, with roughly €600 million in payments on hold during audits tied to an EPPO-led fraud investigation that has prompted resignations and arrests.
- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis urged farmers to lift blockades and enter talks, pledging significant payments by late December as authorities signalled prosecutions for those shutting major transit hubs.