Farmers roll into Hague to protest eco laws
HUNDREDS of Dutch farmers defied a ban to drive their tractors into The Hague yesterday and protest against EU green laws they claim will force many farms to close.
The farmers, waving flags and banners, ignored an emergency ban on heavy vehicles in the city to demonstrate ahead of regional elections in the Netherlands next week.
The mayor of The Hague issued an emergency order granting police extra powers to enforce public order and ensure safety during the planned protests yesterday. “We see tractors on their way to The Hague from various locations,” police said. “We are monitoring the roads and telling drivers of these vehicles not to enter The Hague.”
Authorities placed army trucks near some crossroads, ready to block the streets if tractors tried to drive into the city centre.
The mayor said only two tractors would be allowed to park in the city, as there were fears that thousands of farmers would gather while environmental activists from Extinction Rebellion staged a separate, unauthorised protest.
The Farmers Defence Force group leading the farmers’ demonstration, which has city approval, has encouraged people to arrive by bus.
The government of the proud farming nation has warned that nitrogen emissions must be drastically reduced close to nature areas protected by EU environmental laws.
The coalition wants to cut emissions of pollutants, predominantly nitrates, by 50 per cent nationwide by 2030. It has plans for the forced buyout of 3,000 “peak polluter” farms and industrial polluters.
Ministers have warned “that not all farmers can continue their business.”
Farmers say the government plans are heavy handed and will lead to the closure of many livestock farms and reduced fertiliser use.
Next week’s regional elections are significant because they will determine who makes up the Dutch Senate, and because regional governments are responsible for translating national government goals – such as nitrogen caps – into concrete plans.
Ahead of the vote on Saturday, Extinction Rebellion is expected to block a major thoroughfare in the city to protest tax rules they say encourage the use of fossil fuels.