Protesting Greek farmers briefly closed an airport on the island of Crete, and blocked the port of Lesbos as well as roads and border crossings during a nationwide demonstration on Monday (December 8) triggered by EU funding delays.

Police fired tear gas at the protesting farmers who threw stones and forced their way into the airport in Heraklion in Crete, halting air traffic. Passengers were seen walking past the farmers with their luggage inside the terminal.

On the island of Lesbos farmers surrounded the port with their tractors and vehicles, blocking the entrance.

Greek farmers face a 600 million euro ($700 million) shortfall in EU aid and other payments after a corruption scandal in which some farmers, aided by state employees, faked land ownership to qualify for payouts. Ongoing audits have slowed subsequent disbursements.

The delays to funding come as farmers and stock breeders have had to struggle with an outbreak of sheep pox, droughts, and floods this year.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, under criticism for the scandal, urged farmers to end the blockades and said the government is open for dialogue. The government has acknowledged the payment delays and pledged to distribute 3.7 billion euros ($4.3 billion) to farmers this year.

Yet protests continue. In the north on Monday, farmers disrupted traffic at border crossings with Bulgaria and Turkey respectively. Roadblocks were also set up in southwestern and central Greece, where farmers have said they aim to block the Volos port this week.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. TEAR GAS BEING FIRED ON FARMERS PROTESTING ON ROAD OUTSIDE AIRPORT IN CRETE

2. FARMERS HOLDING THEIR NOSES, FARMERS AFTER TEAR GAS WAS FIRED SCRAMBLING

HERAKLION, CRETE, GREECE (DECEMBER 8, 2025)(CRETALIVE.GR – Access all)

3. FARMERS WALKING AWAY FROM TEAR GAS BEING FIRED, TEAR GAS FILLING THE AIR

4. VARIOUS OF DOZENS OF FARMERS APPROACHING AND ENTERING THE AIRPORT

HERAKLION, CRETE, GREECE (DECEMBER 8, 2025)(REUTERS – Access all)

5. HUNDREDS OF FARMERS STANDING IN FRONT OF AIRPORT ENTRANCE

6. VARIOUS OF FARMERS INSIDE THE AIRPORT, PASSENGERS WITH THEIR LUGGAGE PASSING FARMERS SITTING AND STANDING IN THE AIRPORT

7. POLICE STANDING UNDER FLIGHT BOARD

8. POLICE STANDING NEXT TO FARMERS

9. FLIGHT BOARD

LESBOS, GREECE (DECEMBER 8, 2025)(REUTERS – Access all)

10. DRONE VIEWS OF LESBOS PORT AND FARMERS TRACTORS ARRIVING AROUND PORT AND PARKED AROUND PORT (MUTE)

11. DRONE VIEWS OF FARMERS VEHICLES ARRIVING AT PORT AND PARKED IN FRONT OF PORT (MUTE)

12. VARIOUS OF FARMERS TRACTORS AND VEHICLES ARRIVING AT PORT

13. VARIOUS OF VEHICLES SURROUNDING PORT HONKING HORNS

14. FARMERS AND THEIR TRACTORS SURROUNDING PORT, SHIP DOCKED IN PORT

15. (SOUNDBITE)(Greek) FARMER PROKOPIS BANDZIS SAYING:

“Besides the fact that the subsidies have decreased, our contributions have increased 40% to farmers insurance. We don’t have help, climate change has influenced production a great deal, all of this with the OPEKEPE scandal - people who have nothing to do with the profession are getting enormous amounts.”

16. FARMERS BLOCKING PORT

17. BLACK FLAGS ON FARMERS VEHICLES

18. FARMERS AND THEIR VEHICLES BLOCKING PORT

19. (SOUNDBITE)(Greek) FARMER IRAKLIS SKOUVALAKIS SAYING:

“(I) want there to be justice. Those involved with the illegal subsidies need to account for (their actions), so that us legal farmers can base production according to the subsidies, based on invoices, so that each farmer gets what he deserves.”

20. FARMERS AND THEIR VEHICLES BLOCKING PORT, SHIP IN DISTANCE