Farmers will not campaign in The Hague against the cabinet’s nitrogen plans on Wednesday 22 June. That is what farmers’ collective Agractie has just announced.
“In order not to stand in the way of a joint sound from the agricultural sector, we have decided not to allow the planned action on June 22 in The Hague, as well as the prepared follow-up actions, including during the nitrogen debate on June 23,” said Agractie. Yesterday Farmers Defense Force (FDF) also announced that they would not go to Malieveld.
Agractie announced the demonstration last Friday immediately after the presentation of the new nitrogen plans by the cabinet. Later it turned out that the farmers, however, are more in favor of ‘a positive tone manifestation in the Veluwe to make a statement there’. That protest will take place on the same date.
It is not yet clear what the manifestation will look like. “But it will be the largest campaign ever, the willingness to take action is enormous,” says Wim Brouwer of agricultural organization LTO in the Gelderse Vallei.
Earlier in the day, farmers had hung a doll from a noose during a protest on a viaduct in Twente:
Resistance CDA and VVD
The fact that Agractie and other interest groups do not move to The Hague is probably partly because farmers draw hope from the resistance within government parties VVD and CDA. Many members think the proposed nitrogen reduction of up to 70 percent around nature reserves is going too far.
The CDA is now demanding ‘fundamental adjustments’, as it turned out on Tuesday. A narrow majority of VVD members rejected the nitrogen policy of the cabinet and their own minister Christianne van der Wal at the party congress last weekend.
In the Veluwe, Noord-Brabant and Limburg, among others, the new nitrogen plans are hitting farmers hard. For example, the Gelderse Vallei – part of the Veluwe – is the epicenter for livestock farming, including many poultry farms. Farmers in the region around Barneveld and Ede must emit a total of 58 percent less nitrogen. That is an enormous task, farmers and local politicians fear that the countryside will be cleared.
Mayor Jan van Zanen of The Hague can at least breathe a sigh of relief. He wanted the Empire to ban trekkers from his city on June 22.
Watch our most viewed news videos in the playlist below:
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.
#Farmers #cancel #demonstration #Malieveld #positive #protest