Dutch farmers form ‘freedom convoys’ to protest government’s strict environmental rules

Famed musician Mick Jagger gave the protesters a shout out during a concert

Farmers in the Netherlands have formed their own version of Canada’s “Freedom Convoy,” blocking highways with tractors, setting bales of hay on fire and taking other actions to protest the government’s recent goal to cut emissions that could force some farms to shutter.

“Where is our prime minister? This country is on fire and the farmers are standing up to the government,” a spokesman for the protests said while standing on top of a hay bale in the town of Eerbeek last week, the Guardian reported.

Roughly 40,000 protesters gathered in central Netherlands to protest plans to curb the emissions of nitrogen and ammonia last month. Weeks later, the protests have continued across the country with no sign of abating.

Photos and videos show farmers causing a highway near Germany’s border to come to a halt, with some Germans reportedly even joining the protest. Hundreds of businesses in three towns were virtually shut down due to three different protests, the Guardian reported Saturday. Meanwhile, some supermarkets have barren shelves due to the farmers also targeting distribution centers earlier this month.

Farmers say the protests are not intended to anger their fellow citizens and consumers, but to force the government into a referendum.

The Dutch government is aiming to cut nitrogen and ammonia emissions by 50% by 2030 in a bid to improve air, land and water quality. The plans include cutting back on fertilizer used on farms and ratcheting back the number of livestock by an estimated 30%.

The country is one of the largest agricultural producers in the world, exporting roughly $97 billion in 2020 worth of fruit, flowers, vegetables, dairy products and meat.