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Anastasia Balezdrova

Over 300 followers of the movement "No payment for tolls" gathered today on the Athens - Corinth road to Elevsina. Men, women and youths of all ages raised the barriers to the toll booths allowing drivers of passenger cars, buses and trucks to go for free.   

Apart from the continuous cry of barriers alarm sounds of horns some of which as cheerful as after winning a football match could be heard in the region for at least half an hour.  

Participants in the initiative gave drivers leaflets with information. Drivers responded making the V sign and encouraged them calling "We are in", "We are not paying tolls" and "Road toll booths are illegal."

The organizers described in the leaflet that their fellow citizens are not required to pay tolls and how to go through toll booths without paying.

"We are here today to announce to the whole of Greece that we do not pay tolls. We want to put an end to this poll-tax the state and multinational private companies force us to pay. We refuse to pay and declare them illegal as well as our right to move freely on the roads under Article 5 of the Greek Constitution. This is our right and we inform drivers by giving leaflets to them and lifting the barriers to go freely that they can do the same tomorrow and the day after tomorrow," said for GRReporter the 28-year-old Konstantinos Dimitriadis, one of the coordinators of the movement in the Attica region.  

About 20 trucks arrived at the toll booths in Elevsina shortly after the beginning of the campaign and their strong horns cheered the participants in the protest.

Angelica stopped paying tolls only a month ago and she tries to inform as many people as she can about the initiative.

"We are raising the barriers throughout the country today – from Thessaloniki to Kalamata. We intend not to continue to pay toll taxes for roads that are being built and do not meet European requirements, or for finished roads, for which we have already paid several times and continue to pay."

"Everyone could oppose and state he or she would not pay any more. It’s easy. We want to encourage people, to convince them this is possible. As you see, there are policemen here but they can do nothing."

Indeed, several police cars arrived but the police presence was distant and discreet.

The leaflets handed out to the passing drivers contained information on how they can go through the toll booths on the road without paying taxes. "We call on our fellow-citizens not to get involved in meaningless conversations with the employees who are trying to slow them down on purpose. They have only to push the barrier like they open a door and then move freely with their cars," says the leaflet. "If we are not allowed to raise the barrier and the toll booth employees do not open it we should file a complaint for illegal detention and traffic prevention."

About an hour after the start of the protest the long convoy of participants’ cars headed to the toll booths on the Attiki Odos highway where local residents – followers of the movement – expected them. Then they continued to the booths on the Athens - Lamia highway in Afidnes. After the end of the campaign the toll booths started working in full swing.  

All toll barriers in the entire road network were opened during the Panhellenic campaign. According to the schedule available on the website of the movement civic committees in different regions are expected to be active by regions almost every day.