EU AP: Farmers, environmental activists hold demos in The Hague - Protests were at different locations. The government wants to cut emissions of pollutants, predominantly nitrates, by 50% nationwide by 2030.

Farmers, environmental activists hold demos in The Hague
Associated Press (archive.ph)
By Mike Corder
2023-03-11 17:05:11GMT


Netherlands flags fly upside-down in protest as thousands of demonstrators joined an anti-government protest by farmers' organizations in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Thousands of farmers and anti-establishment demonstrators protested Saturday in a park in The Hague against Dutch government plans to reduce nitrate emissions, while climate activists angry at what they call state support for the fossil fuel industry broke through police lines and blocked a major road elsewhere in the city for hours.

The simultaneous demonstrations a few kilometers (miles) from each other took place days before Dutch voters go to the polls in provincial elections. The elections on Wednesday indirectly also indirectly select members of the national parliament’s upper house and could have an effect on proposals for reducing nitrate pollution.

Late Saturday afternoon, police turned a water cannon on climate protesters who refused to leave the road they had occupied for hours, hindering traffic in and out of the city. Firefighters set up a tent nearby as a precaution to help doused protesters dry off and warm up, the municipality said.

Police said they stopped an unknown number of tractors that were headed for the farmers’ demonstration. The city banned all but two “symbolic” tractors from participating, citing safety concerns.

Thousands of people, many carrying the upside-down Dutch flags that have become synonymous with farmers’ protests and balloons emblazoned with the logo of the far-right Forum for Democracy party, gathered peacefully in front of a park stage for the demonstration. The two permitted tractors drove slowly across the park.

Bob De Jong, a farmer from the Dutch agricultural heartland of North Brabant province, said that if the current “corrupt” lawmakers remained in power “no farmer in Holland will survive.”

As the farmers gathered in the park in the south of the city, Mayor Jan van Zanen gave police permission to use a water cannon on Extinction Rebellion protesters who blocked a major highway in the downtown area near where it runs past the temporary home of the Dutch parliament.

Police said demonstrators who refused to leave the road would be detained. The highway was blocked in both directions, but police did not immediately use the water cannon. Several demonstrators lay down in front of the cannon, and another suspended herself off the side of a wall on one side of the road holding up a banner that read: “Power to the people.”

The twin demonstrations prompted authorities to place army trucks near some crossroads ready to block the streets if tractors or other protest vehicles tried to drive into the city center.

Anger at moves to cut nitrate emissions have spread from the Netherlands to other European nations. Just over a week ago, farmers drove hundreds of tractors into the heart of the Belgian capital, Brussels, snarling traffic.

At protests in recent years, farmers have driven hundreds of tractors into the center of The Hague and also used them to blockade supermarket warehouses.

The government has said that nitrate emissions, which are produced by livestock, transport and industry, must be drastically reduced close to nature areas that are part of a network of protected habitats for endangered plants and wildlife stretching across the 27-nation European Union.

The government wants to cut emissions of pollutants, predominantly nitrates, by 50% nationwide by 2030. Ministers call the proposal an “unavoidable transition” that aims to improve air, land and water quality, and have warned that it will mean “that not all farmers can continue their business.”





Police use a water cannon during an Extinction Rebellion protest and blockade of a major highway in the downtown area near where it runs past the temporary home of the Dutch parliament, during a climate protest in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

An Extinction Rebellion protester holds a banner as she is suspended from a railing of a major highway in the downtown area near where it runs past the temporary home of the Dutch parliament, during a climate protest in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Netherlands flags fly upside-down in protest with one reading NEXIT, referring to a Netherlands Exit of the EU, as thousands of demonstrators joined an anti-government protest by farmers' organizations in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

A woman wearing the Dutch flag upside-down disposes of a wrapper as thousands of demonstrators joined an anti-government protest by farmers' organizations in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Netherlands flags fly upside-down in protest as thousands of demonstrators are expected to join an anti-government protest by farmers' organizations in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Extinction Rebellion protesters hold banners after they suspended themselves from a railing of a major highway in the downtown area near where it runs past the temporary home of the Dutch parliament, during a climate protest in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

An protester holds a banner with the SHELL logo reading "No Money To Fossil" during an Extinction Rebellion protest and blockade of a major highway in the downtown area near where it runs past the temporary home of the Dutch parliament, during a climate protest in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday, March 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

 

[Schwarzwald]

Those upside down Dutch flags don't exactly carry much oomph being solid and tricolored. Not exactly the same impact as an upside down American flag or any other flag that has an upwards-facing symbol on it. It almost looks nicer than it does rightside up starting with the blue on top, really.

Come to think of it, the UK was pretty forward-thinking in making their flag reversible to prevent apparent protests like this, being a totalitarian hellhole and all. They really saw it coming and nipped it in the bud.

 

[SneedYstwyth]

God I hope the Netherlands gets reclaimed by the sea. If these climate fags are right (they're not) they're in the literal worst country you could possibly be in. Retards.

 

[Übertroon]

Those upside down Dutch flags don't exactly carry much oomph being solid and tricolored. Not exactly the same impact as an upside down American flag or any other flag that has an upwards-facing symbol on it. It almost looks nicer than it does rightside up starting with the blue on top, really.

Come to think of it, the UK was pretty forward-thinking in making their flag reversible to prevent apparent protests like this, being a totalitarian hellhole and all. They really saw it coming and nipped it in the bud.

It certainly doesn't have the same symbolism as replacing the red with orange

 

[glass_houses]

Sooo... If they get rid of 50% of their farmers, how're 50% of the population going to eat if there's a crisis and food can't be imported from other countries for whatever reason? I'm getting very German vibes here, shutting down their energy sources in favour of Russian gas, and being all *surprise Pikachu face* when Vladimir said, "Let's play a game..."

Farming is often an incredibly environmentally damaging industry, but just shutting it down is madness. The sane solution to the problem is huge long-term governmental investment in agricultural science and gradual change, and oh, population and immigration control. Not just stopping farming entirely, Jesus fuck.

 

[TheDarknessGrows]

I am skeptical of any publication that can't be bothered to write out the word "demonstrations" in its entirety.

 

[Miller]

I hope the farmers make sure to not get co-opted by the useful idiots of Extinction Rebellion (paid by Soros).

 

[Stoneheart]

Sooo... If they get rid of 50% of their farmers, how're 50% of the population going to eat if there's a crisis and food can't be imported from other countries for whatever reason? I'm getting very German vibes here, shutting down their energy sources in favour of Russian gas, and being all *surprise Pikachu face* when Vladimir said, "Let's play a game..."

This will make meat, eggs and milk alot more expensive. they will not be able to dump shit on cornfields anymore, but they will find away, maybe exporting it to africa or something like that.
Also Germany had coal power in reserve and started using those when the russians said no more gas,

 

[Otterly]

Sooo... If they get rid of 50% of their farmers, how're 50% of the population going to eat if there's a crisis and food can't be imported from other countries for whatever reason

They aren’t going to eat. Holland supplies a huge proportion of veg to the Uk and other countries as well. Everything is going to get a LOT more expensive. The capacity to produce meat, milk and eggs and veg is going to be reduced by these people and food is going to be the next battleground. We are already seeing policy wonks and academics talking about rationing to be most fair way of distribution.
If you don’t have a garden, start one. You can grow even in a windowledge or balcony - grow everything you can

 

[Snekposter]

I hope the farmers make sure to not get co-opted by the useful idiots of Extinction Rebellion (paid by Soros).

The farmers and ER are in total opposition here. The farmers want to farm and the ER guys are counter-protesting them and demanding restrictions on everything.

Thousands of people, many carrying the upside-down Dutch flags that have become synonymous with farmers’ protests and balloons emblazoned with the logo of the far-right Forum for Democracy party, gathered peacefully in front of a park stage for the demonstration. The two permitted tractors drove slowly across the park.

The Sweden Democrats used to be far-right, and now they're the number two party in the Riksdag. Someone should remind the AP of that small fact.

 

[Otterly]

The farmers want to farm and the ER guys are counter-protesting them and demanding restrictions on everything.

What do ER eat, I wonder?

 

[Snekposter]

What do ER eat, I wonder?

Bugs, probably.

Oh wait, you're serious? Probably choice cuts of meat considering they're 99% trust fund kids.

 

[ZazietheBeast]

The endgame of this is to create widespread famine, institute further tyranny by fucking over food if the WEF fucks in government had their way.

Also, it is true that farming is destructive. However, its just that the methods are outdated and the government never bothered to look into actually fixing it as depriving people gives them more advantages than actually fixing the issue.

Vid related. Something that helps with farming.

In fact, eat ze bugs is pure cope from the Antichrist. Boogz require intensive farming practices such as temperature control (cold blooded) as well as plantmatter meant for humans to be fed on them.

Highly inefficient compared to a chicken. But our leaders are crazy and malicious so they'll try it anyway.

 

[Akari Is My Wife]

Sooo... If they get rid of 50% of their farmers, how're 50% of the population going to eat if there's a crisis and food can't be imported from other countries for whatever reason? I'm getting very German vibes here, shutting down their energy sources in favour of Russian gas, and being all *surprise Pikachu face* when Vladimir said, "Let's play a game..."

Farming is often an incredibly environmentally damaging industry, but just shutting it down is madness. The sane solution to the problem is huge long-term governmental investment in agricultural science and gradual change, and oh, population and immigration control. Not just stopping farming entirely, Jesus fuck.

The WEF wants to get rid of the commoners farms, and to reduce the earth's population. Masses of people will die, and they'll control the people left by keeping them from feeding themselves. Countries in Europe are restricting chicken ownership for more and more people, too.

 

[Ser Prize]

The sane solution to the problem is huge long-term governmental investment in agricultural science and gradual change, and oh, population and immigration control. Not just stopping farming entirely, Jesus fuck.

Why the fuck would you trust the government, the same one that's banning nitrogen fertilizer?

Giving government agricultural control is retarded.

 

[pikachudidnothingwrong]

Hopefully the right side comes out big in the elections. The farmers need to go complete "green protester" on the country if this shit is allowed to continue. The nitrate issue is a completely made up green/eco "issue" designed to weaken and destroy our ability to produce food. It almost doesn't come more "direct" of an attack on food than this!

The government has said that nitrate emissions, which are produced by livestock, transport and industry, must be drastically reduced close to nature areas that are part of a network of protected habitats for endangered plants and wildlife stretching across the 27-nation European Union.

The government wants to cut emissions of pollutants, predominantly nitrates, by 50% nationwide by 2030. Ministers call the proposal an “unavoidable transition” that aims to improve air, land and water quality, and have warned that it will mean “that not all farmers can continue their business.”

So once again we are seeing attempts to cripple our societies, in the name of "climate catastrophe," over things totally and completely unrelated to climate changes itself. Just pet "issues" of green and other eco ideologue lunatics!

 

[SiccDicc]

Farming is often an incredibly environmentally damaging industry, but just shutting it down is madness. The sane solution to the problem is huge long-term governmental investment in agricultural science and gradual change, and oh, population and immigration control. Not just stopping farming entirely, Jesus fuck.

Shit, all you have to do is dig up half the shit George Washington Carver figured out about natural soil enrichment and you already have a pretty good foundation going forward. The knowledge is there, just no one wants to use it.

 

[Return of the Freaker]

Shit, all you have to do is dig up half the shit George Washington Carver figured out about natural soil enrichment and you already have a pretty good foundation going forward. The knowledge is there, just no one wants to use it.

Of course not, that would get in the way of goyim reduction