Several people raised the national flag at the farmers’ demonstration, which took place ahead of regional elections on March 15 that followed a similar movement in Belgium, MTI reported.
In a peaceful protest, farmers marched holding signs that read “No Farmers, No Food” and “No Nitrogen Problem”.
Due to the relatively large number of livestock and the increased use of fertilizers in the Netherlands and Belgium, the level of nitrogen in soil and water has risen above the level permitted by the European Union. According to farmers’ organizations, the problem is exaggerated and the proposed solutions are unfair and ineffective.
Elsewhere in the city, thousands of environmentalists led by climate activist group Extinction Rebellion have blocked a major road in an unauthorized protest against tax rules they say will increase fossil fuel use.
In the late afternoon, the police dispersed a crowd of about a hundred activists with water cannons.
The demonstrators called on the government to end tax breaks for oil refineries and coal companies to avoid double taxation, as well as EU-wide tax breaks for the aviation and shipping industries.
