No news day without a farmer’s commotion. The reports of incidents involving demonstrating farmers followed each other in rapid succession last week. Last Friday, farmers advanced with tractors to near the house of Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Christianne van der Wal (VVD). In the Achterhoek farmers blocked the track on Tuesday evening over which diesel trains ran that emit nitrogen. The ChristenUnie announced on Wednesday that it would cancel a visit by agriculture minister Henk Staghouwer to a farmer in Renswoude. Farmer Jos Verdam had received many “intimidating messages” because of Staghouwer’s arrival. “I fear for what will happen in my yard if we let this continue,” said Verdam.
Also read: NCTV did not consider extra security for Minister Van der Wal necessary
Is the peasant protest becoming more and more radical, and should politicians take more action against this? The ruling party D66 thinks so. Group leader Jan Paternotte started the discussion this week during Question Time in the House of Representatives about “extremist farmers” who “do not shy away from intimidation”. “You see it getting worse,” he says in an explanation. “In app groups, addresses of politicians are exchanged, they are looked up at home, roads are blocked with tractors, crush barriers are driven over.”
The parties on the right find it easier. Caroline van der Plas of the BoerBurgerBeweging points out that there are about fifty thousand farmers in the Netherlands and that most farmers, despite their anger about the nitrogen plans, ‘remain neatly on their property’. Van der Plas believes that farmers are being lumped together by D66. “As if every farmer on a tractor is immediately a terror farmer.”
On television, she immediately distanced herself from farmers’ home visits to Minister Van der Wal. She previously made it a point in the House that D66 politician Rob Jetten would not have been threatened in October 2020 when five farmers brought him a food package at home. Should these kinds of actions be allowed or not, according to her? “I think that Jetten was not actually threatened at the time. But I also clearly distance myself from farmers who visit politicians at home. I don’t think that’s possible, I’ve said that a thousand times. That also gives me irritated reactions from certain farmers.”
The right to demonstrate is a great asset, but with intimidation and violence a line must be drawn very radically
SGP MP Roelof Bisschop, whose party also has many farmers in its supporters, sees, like Paternotte, that “radical elements among the farmers are prepared to go very far”. Bishop says threats “always disapprove of, no matter how unjust you are treated.” Because yes, that is now happening to the farmers, says Bisschop. According to him, the farmers have always adhered to all the rules and are now threatened in their existence by court decisions and cabinet plans. “Then I understand that you are moving. Or do we want a Allowance Affair 2.0?”
Flower for the shock
The farmers’ protest suddenly became an internal issue at the CDA this week. RTL News revealed that an active CDA member, the Elburg dairy farmer Wim Bonestroo, was leading the tractor protest towards Van der Wal’s home. Bonestroo continued to defend the action afterwards. He did bring Van der Wal some flowers for the fright. A spokesman for the national party board says that party chairman Hans Huibers has spoken with Bonestroo by phone. “The chairman has made it clear that this is not in line with the CDA.” Bonestroo can remain a member for the time being; The CDA does not want to say whether it has been threatened with expulsion in the event of new incidents. “We will not make any further announcements about the content of the conversation.”
Also read: Out and about with Caroline van der Plas: ‘Farmers have not yet given up hope’
If it is up to D66, CDA members such as Bonestroo will be fined, arrested or prosecuted by the police in the future. State Secretary Eric van der Burg (Justice, VVD) said in the House this week that it is “morally unacceptable” that the farmers visited his colleague Van der Wal at home, but that they had not committed any criminal offences. The Party for the Animals also finds the constant threat of tractors “serious and intimidating,” says Member of Parliament Frank Wassenberg. “The right to demonstrate is a great asset, but intimidation and violence have to draw a very radical line.” D66 party leader Paternotte thinks that “many people have the feeling that there is a kind of separate status for demonstrating farmers”. He therefore wants the cabinet to investigate whether manifestations in the private environment of administrators or politicians can be banned.
SGP member Bishop is surprised that D66 wants to go in the direction of prohibition. “I hear a plea here for vigorous intervention in advance during demonstrations. D66 is suddenly completely on the line of repression; normally it is always freedom, happiness.” Bishop sees “shocking selective outrage” – he rarely hears D66 and left-wing parties when animal activists enter a barnyard or Extinction Rebellion climate activists block intersections. Wassenberg of the Party for the Animals finds these actions “incomparable” with those of the farmers. “I have never seen climate activists threaten anyone or use violence.”
Protest in the Veluwe
On Wednesday, farmers will again hold a major protest against the nitrogen plans. First they would come to The Hague with tractors again, now the official protest is in the Veluwe. Organizer Agractie announced this week that this has been decided because many farmers’ organizations preferred “a positive-toned manifestation”. Caroline van der Plas is happy with that. “I think farmers should come up with much more public-friendly actions, from handing out free food at supermarkets to delivering fruit and vegetables to nursing homes. That way you can also get your message across against the nitrogen plans.”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of June 18, 2022
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