Czech farmers dumped manure in front of the government’s office, blocked Prague streets with tractors, and taunted the country’s farm minister on Thursday as they renewed protests demanding more help and a halt to cheap imports to the European Union.
Farmers across the EU have taken to the streets this year, calling for the removal of restrictions placed on them by a Green Deal plan to tackle climate change and for customs duties on farm products from Ukraine to be reimposed.
On Wednesday, thousands of Polish farmers protested outside the prime minister’s office in Warsaw, burning tires, and throwing firecrackers. Last month, farmers in Brussels set tires alight outside an EU farm ministers’ meeting.
Czech farmers, in their third protest since mid-February, rolled into Prague early on Thursday in hundreds of tractors, lining streets and a river road leading to the government offices, bringing traffic to a standstill in several spots.
Police said farmers dumped manure in front of government headquarters, leading to one arrest.
“The government should take farmers’ demands seriously. Not only in the Czech Republic, but around Europe, the future of farming is playing out,” 50-year-old farmer Ivo Kasal said.
“For now, it looks like the Czech government wants us to be maintenance workers for the landscape,” he added.
Govt accuses farmers of blackmail
The government has said it would not be pressured into talks with farmers, with Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Thursday comparing it to “blackmail.”
Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný criticized dumping manure on the street and was interrupted by jeers several times when he appeared and addressed the demonstration.
Farmers say they are the ones being put under pressure by the government and EU policies.
“We have had enough,” Agrarian Chamber President Jan Doležal told the crowd outside the government office.
The Agrarian Chamber has called for subsidies matching 2022 levels and programs to support employment in farming, along with a reduced property tax for farmland.
It also wants the government to help tackle a surplus in EU markets caused by cheap imports.
“I don’t like what they do to us, that they import rotten grains, meanwhile, we can produce proper grain full of worth,” tractor driver Zbyněk Šlajchrt, 56, said.
On Wednesday, thousands of Polish farmers protested outside the prime minister’s office in Warsaw, burning tires, and throwing firecrackers. Last month, farmers in Brussels set tires alight outside an EU farm ministers’ meeting.
Czech farmers, in their third protest since mid-February, rolled into Prague early on Thursday in hundreds of tractors, lining streets and a river road leading to the government offices, bringing traffic to a standstill in several spots.
Police said farmers dumped manure in front of government headquarters, leading to one arrest.
Farmers marched on foot before midday to protest in front of the government building, where they used whistles and sirens while shouting “shame” amid scattered hay bales and waving signs saying “Don’t take our jobs.”Angry farmers are once again protesting in Prague. They’ve dumped a load of manure in front of the government to make clear what they think of its agricultural policies. They’re now doing a loop around Mala Strana, Letná and the embankment. pic.twitter.com/sjUlvzh7SF
— Rob Cameron (@BBCRobC) March 7, 2024
“The government should take farmers’ demands seriously. Not only in the Czech Republic, but around Europe, the future of farming is playing out,” 50-year-old farmer Ivo Kasal said.
“For now, it looks like the Czech government wants us to be maintenance workers for the landscape,” he added.
Govt accuses farmers of blackmail
The government has said it would not be pressured into talks with farmers, with Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Thursday comparing it to “blackmail.”
Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný criticized dumping manure on the street and was interrupted by jeers several times when he appeared and addressed the demonstration.
Farmers say they are the ones being put under pressure by the government and EU policies.
“We have had enough,” Agrarian Chamber President Jan Doležal told the crowd outside the government office.
The Agrarian Chamber has called for subsidies matching 2022 levels and programs to support employment in farming, along with a reduced property tax for farmland.
It also wants the government to help tackle a surplus in EU markets caused by cheap imports.
“I don’t like what they do to us, that they import rotten grains, meanwhile, we can produce proper grain full of worth,” tractor driver Zbyněk Šlajchrt, 56, said.
Source: Reuters
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