Footage of farmers across Europe taking to the streets against policies that threaten the world’s food supply went viral on social media. The radical policies imposed by the European Union sought to slash carbon emissions by more than half come 2030.
Dutch farmers have protested for weeks against Amsterdam’s plan to forcibly close farms. The Dutch government’s climate change measures sought to reduce emissions in some provinces by 95 percent. However, this means that the way of life of about 30 percent of farmers could meet its end.
Under Amsterdam’s climate plan, farmers will give up their farms voluntarily. They will receive compensation for doing so on the condition that they will never return to farming. In case they break the agreement, the state will take over their farm. Furthermore, Amsterdam will also ban fertilizers that use nitrogen.
One protest involved farmers who rode their tractors through the northern province of Friesland, forcing vehicles out of their way. Things came to a head after armed police shot at one tractor. The protest ended with no injuries recorded and three individuals arrested for attempted murder.
Meanwhile, Italian farmers joined their counterparts in other countries in protesting against climate policies and skyrocketing food prices.
One video showed a farmer exhorting others to mobilize and trek all the way to Rome. The farmers were planning to head over to the Italian capital in protest of unmitigated inflation, supply chain failures and strict “green” initiatives crippling the country’s agricultural sector.
“You should all come along with us because under these conditions, we cannot put food on the table anymore. We can’t take it anymore. You should side with us to Rome. We must go to Rome because we can’t take this anymore,” said the farmer urging others to join them.
The Italian farmers rode around in their tractors, with banners that aimed to raise awareness about the issues. “We are not slaves, we are farmers,” they chanted.
Protesting farmers block major highways
While farmers in the Netherlands and Italy took to riding their tractors, some of their counterparts in other EU nations took things a step further by blocking major highways.
Spanish farmers in the southern region of Andalusia blocked the A-4 Highway in the province of Jaen. The blockade was organized to protest against exorbitant increases in energy and food prices. One video of the protests in Jaen showed dozens of farmers wearing yellow vests, alongside their tractors, blocking the highway’s entrance.
German and Dutch farmers joined hands on July 6 to block a roundabout near the Heerenberg border crossing. Their compatriots also blocked the A-7 highway, with their tractors flying the flags of their respective nations.
“Farmers who learned from the Canadian Freedom Tuckers are currently blockading the Netherlands-Germany border with tractors to protest the World Economic Forum’s climate change policies of their government,” wrote Conservative Choice Campaign‘s Sheila G, alongside footage of the blockade.
Austrian member of parliament (MP) Peter Schmiedlechner denounced the “outrageous” climate proposals espoused by both Amsterdam and Brussels.
“Because of the so-called ‘Green Deal,’ the government in the Netherlands has done something outrageous, and it is to be feared that the same thing will happen in Austria,” said the lawmaker and member of the Freedom Party of Austria.
Schmiedlechner continued: “At the same time, the EU is signing a trade agreement with New Zealand, creating new dependencies. In what world does that make sense?”
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