10,000 Dutch farmers protest in The Hague against gov'ts 'nitrogen emission' scheme that will devastate food production

Jim Hoft
Reuters
Sun, 12 Mar 2023 00:02 UTC

More than 10,000 Dutch farmers protested in The Hague on Saturday against government plans to limit nitrogen emissions, a policy they say will spell the end of many farms and hit food production.

Many symbolically held the national flag upside down during the demonstration, which took place ahead of March 15 regional elections and followed similar protests by farmers in Belgium this month over nitrogen emission rules.

Elsewhere in the city, thousands of environmentalists blocked a major thoroughfare in an unauthorised protest against tax rules they say encourage the use of fossil fuels. Police used water cannon to disperse a group of about 100 of the activists late in the afternoon.

Comment: The agenda of these environmentalists is actually quite in line with the establishment goal of deindustrialisation, which, if successful, would result in an unimaginable amount of misery and death: Thousands of farmers protest in Brussels over nitrogen limits that will cause 'socio-economic carnage'

The pro-farm protesters carried banners reading "No farmers, no food," and "There is no nitrogen 'problem'" during the peaceful demonstration organised by the Farmers' Defence Force group.

Comment: Indeed, as the energy crisis has already begun to reveal: UK supermarkets rationing vegetables as food shortages hit, energy crisis and extreme weather blamed

Relatively large numbers of livestock and heavy use of fertilizers have led to levels of nitrogen oxides in the soil and water in the Netherlands and Belgium that are higher than European Union regulations allow.

Comment: If the government is so concerned then why not set up a permaculture body and subsidise farmers to adopt equally efficient but cleaner farming?

Farm groups say the problem has been exaggerated and that the proposed solutions are unfair and ineffective.

Comment: The government's concern over nitrogen seems to have come on pretty fast, and almost out of nowhere. In other Western countries governments have been concocting all sorts of excuses for kicking farmers off their land, from re-wilding, to feigned concern over animal disease, and waste byproducts - all the while omitting industries involved in much worse polluting - with the ultimate result of all of these changes being to put farmers out of business; this, despite food shortages already occurring and world leaders warning of 'hell on earth' to come.

Next week's regional elections are significant because they will determine the make-up of the Dutch Senate, and because regional governments are responsible for translating national government goals - such as nitrogen caps - into concrete plans.

Environmentalists led by the climate activist group Extinction Rebellion scaled a wall next to the road they had blocked to hang a banner reading "Stop fossil subsidies".

Protesters are demanding an end to fuel tax exemptions for oil refineries and coal plants, introduced to avoid double taxation, as well as exemptions for the aviation and shipping industries that were agreed at the EU level.

Comment: Prior to the actual protest, Gateway Pundit reported:

Dutch Government Sends In Military Trucks and Military Gear

Thousands of farmers are expected to drive tractors to The Hague, Netherlands, on Saturday morning to oppose the government's plan to shut down 3,000 farms. The government made the move to comply with global warming goals despite a heavy vehicle ban the day before.

It can be recalled that the Dutch government is planning to "buy and close down up to 3,000 farms near environmentally sensitive areas to be in compliance with EU environmental rules" of the nitrate emission reduction plan.

According to Swedish journalist, Peter Imanuelsen, this will be the biggest demonstration yet.

According to Peter Imanuelsen, military vehicles are already arriving in the Netherlands in preparation for the farmers' protest.

On Monday, the mayor of The Hague threatened to use military gear to stop rival climate and farmer protests.

NL Times reported:

Mayor Jan van Zanen of The Hague said he could indeed authorize the use of military equipment to remove blockades or tractors in his city on March 11. On that date, the upcoming Saturday, both climate activists and farmers are set to demonstrate in the Zuid-Holland city.

"I am not going to rule out the possibility that Defense equipment will be deployed. That is available if necessary," he said in an interview with De Telegraaf. He has also asked police forces elsewhere in the country to provide officers to assist.

"We cannot handle this alone," Van Zanen told De Telegraaf. "Also to ensure that the demonstrations are safe."

Van Zanen says he will not consider banning any of the planned demonstrations for the time being. He called on those demonstrating to ensure that they can cherish a "great right." That forces him to be "radically neutral."

How incredibly patronising, out of touch, and apparently ignorant of the consequences of what's happening.

But there are limits, he said. "Blocking a road indefinitely with people or equipment is not an acceptable way of demonstrating, but a blockade," he told the newspaper. "I think that's a disruption of public order."

When more citizens really start to struggle to afford food when doing their shopping, it's highly likely they will support blockades to get the government's attention, and more.