Several hundred protesters, angry at rising charges for highway tolls, have occupied for two hours 19 highway toll stations all over Greece, raising the bars and letting vehicles pass through without paying.

About 400 people gathered at the toll station 25 kilometers north of Athens holding a banner that says “No to tolls — Free highways for all — We are not paying and neither should you.”

Most passing drivers honked their horns in approval, the Associated Press reported.

Protest activists object to the collection of tolls by the private contractors who operate the booths and who are also involved in expanding and maintaining the country’s highway network.

Organizers said the protest will continue.

Toll charges are expected to rise Monday on a portion of Greece's major north-south highway.

The trip between Athens and the second largest city of Thessaloniki, 515 kilometers to the north, will cost EUR 23,20 for a one-way trip, up from EUR 17, AP reported.