The farmers are back protesting today, and there’s a lot going on. Here’s our rundown of the major events so far today.
Traffic delays, morning and evening
This morning there were traffic jams caused by the farmers, and the same is happening this evening. ANWB reports that the A1 towards Amsterdam, there is a 22-kilometre long traffic jam. So if you’re commuting this evening with your car, prepare for delays. The delays are caused by tractors on the roads. Earlier in the day, the farmers had a barbecue on the A1.
Blockage on the German border on the A7
Tractors are also causing havoc in other parts of the country, including on the German border. They are apparently planning on staying the night, at least at the moment. None are making any moves to leave, and most say they’re enjoying it. Cars are getting by via the hard shoulder at a reduced speed.
De boeren op de A7 bij de Duitse grens staan nog steeds stil. Verkeer rijdt om via de tankstations. #boerenprotest pic.twitter.com/huXnLv1uVR
— Laura Veneman (@laura_veneman) December 18, 2019
A car driver had to be taken to hospital after a tractor crashed into his car
A motorist was hit by a tractor which ran a red light. Their car was damaged, and the man has been taken to hospital. A police spokesperson said his injuries did not seem severe. This took place this morning near Boschdijk in Eindhoven.
Protest at Tata Steel
Farmers were also protesting, with tractors in tow, at Tata Steel this morning. They’ve mostly left by now, and the mood at the protest was positive, with workers from the company handing out tea and biscuits to the farmers.
Wilders gave olliebollen to farmers on the Malieveld
This morning, Geert Wilders, leader of the PVV, gave oliebollen to farmers gathered on the Malieveld in The Hague this morning. In his Twitter post promoting his bounteous actions, he referred to the farmers as heroes.
Steun en oliebollen voor onze boeren, onze helden!#Wilders #PVVpic.twitter.com/oihVjKH404
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) December 18, 2019
Farmers gathered around the Arnhem provincial house
Farmers also gathered to protest at the provincial house in Arnhem. About four hundred protesters were expected, and on advice from the police, the provincial house was closed. Workers’ safety couldn’t be guaranteed, following the siege of the Groningen provincial house last month.
Other protests today in the Netherlands
This isn’t it: there were lots more protests today by the farmers. These took place in, for example Gouda, at the Hilversum Mediapark, and Middelburg. You can read more about the day on RTL Nieuws’s liveblog.
Boerenprotest Gouda pic.twitter.com/blman7E0v9
— Ruud F. Witte (@PuffinGouda) December 18, 2019
What’s this all about?
If you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, the farmers are protesting against regulations designed to combat the nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands. Nature is under threat, but the farmers do not want to change their practices or shut down their farms in certain areas, as the government is suggesting.
What do you think about today’s protests? Let us know in the comments below.
Feature image: Cekay/Wikimedia Commons.Â
The government seems dedicated to having either the farming or building industries bear the brunt of air pollution, which is a shame as there is a spectrum of pollution and possibly solutions to consider. Why, for instance, did the government cancel a plan to support a subsidy for the transition to electric vehicles? Germany, France, the UK, Belgium, Spain…not us, the Netherlands, where we’re told instead to give up an auto and ride a bike. Still, schemes exist for company cars (which are relatively new anyway) and no support for individuals wanting to remove a dirty old heap from the highways. Air pollution from old autos is the number-one air polluter: in carbon monoxide, nitrogen emissions and particulate matter… all these count towards cleaner air, and we can all help solve it and benefit from this solution. But it’s been denied again this last economic year….but why?
Why? Basically, Shell – that’s why. That, and that the government is business-focused first, where quarterly profits are more important than the overall health of the country in the coming 10-30 years. The Netherlands is the EU country with the greatest number of children with asthma, and with nearly the worst environmental record in the entire bloc. We need to demand more of our politicians, which is why I support both the building and farmers in their strikes…they are partially responsible, but no one industry should suffer entirely.
We need a wider plan, and politicians with the courage to include ALL options.