ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Greek farmers wielding shepherd's staffs clashed with riot police in central Athens on Friday as thousands headed to the Greek capital for a two-day protest against the government's plans to impose new tax hikes and reform the pension system.
About 800 farmers from the island of Crete who arrived by ferry rallied outside the outside the ministry of agriculture, throwing tomatoes as tension escalated when police prevented them from staging a symbolic occupation of the building. Clashes soon broke out, with riot police using tear gas to repel protesters throwing rocks and setting dumpsters on fire.
At one point, an outnumbered riot police unit was forced to flee up a street, with Cretan farmers wielding staffs and pieces of wood in pursuit.
Many of the ministry's windows were broken, while rubble from rocks and broken paving stones lay strewn around outside the building. Police said the farmers also threatened to spray riot police with a pesticide used for olive trees if the police used tear gas. At least four farmers were detained.
"These scenes were aimed at blackening the struggle of the farmers," said Agriculture Minister Vangelis Apostolou. "For us, there is one path - that of dialogue to solve the problems of farmers. And this (path) has been opened by the prime minister."
Farming associations have been blockading highways with tractors for more than two weeks, forcing traffic into lengthy diversions, in protest against a planned overhaul of the country's troubled pension system.
So far, farmers have refused talks with the government, insisting the pension reform plan must be repealed.
Farmers in buses, pickup trucks and cars from north and south were heading to the capital for the start of the main rally, set for Friday afternoon in Athens' main Syntagma Square outside Parliament.
Tension also surfaced on the outskirts of the city, where one group of farmers was insisting police allow them to continue to the city center with their tractors.
Although the government initially banned the participation of tractors in the central Athens protest, Nikos Toskas, the deputy interior minister for public order, said a few would be allowed through.
"It was clear that we could not permit tractors to enter the city but we have permitted a symbolic number to take part in the protest rally," Toskas said.
Bailout lenders are demanding that Greece scrap tax breaks for farmers and impose pension reforms that will lead to higher monthly contributions from the self-employed and salaried employees.
The protests against the pension reform have united a disparate group of professions, including lawyers, artists, accountants, engineers, doctors, dentists, seamen and casino workers.