After weeks of sometimes violent protests by farmers against new environmental regulations, the Dutch government has now spoken to farmers for the first time to negotiate. Farmers demanded concessions at the start in Utrecht on Friday. The government must accommodate the farmers and there must be “more than just gestures,” it said.
The protests are against planned measures to drastically reduce nitrogen emissions. By 2030, emissions should be reduced by an average of 50 percent. According to government calculations, this could mean the end of some 30 percent of the country’s livestock farms. There are constant blockades on major highways, at logistics centers of food chains and even in ports and airports. Violent riots also sometimes occur. Politicians and their families are under threat.
Right calls for ‘civil war’
Right-wing extremists are increasingly making use of this heated atmosphere. Pia Lamberty of the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy (CeMAS), which researches radicalization trends and conspiracy stories on the Internet, analyzes the wave of protests for extreme groups as a symbol of resistance of the “people” against the “peoples”. elite”. “Such protests are an ideal projection surface for enemies of democracy,” said CeMAS co-director of the German news agency (dpa) in late July.
The police find that the angry farmers are joined by conspiracy theorists, anti-corona activists, right-wing extremists and other groups who act generally and diffusely against the state. Relevant social media forums, such as “Bauern im Aufstand” (Drilling in Revolt) on Telegram, are increasingly calling for violence. There is talk of a “civil war”. Or: “Let The Hague burn”.
It is all the more important that negotiations take place now. Prime Minister Mark Rutte also participated in this on Friday. For now, however, he is sticking to the controversial plans. A total of eleven farmers’ associations came to the conference location. The largest associations had initially rejected talks with the government. The two most radical farmers’ associations declined the invitation. The location of the talks was kept secret for fear of violent protests.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
