Summer Heats Up as Furious Dutch Farmers Rage Against Nitrogen Reduction Plans

Farmers gather with their vehicles next to a Germany-Netherlands border sign during a protest on the A1 highway, near Rijssen, on June 29, 2022, against the Dutch Government's nitrogen plans. Dutch farmers, joined by truckers, dock workers, shippers, and fruit growers, are bracing for a hot summer of protests. The kick-off will be Monday, July 4, with an announced national lockdown (Image: VINCENT JANNINK/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Victor Westerkamp
July 2, 2022 (leer en español)

Dutch farmers are preparing for a hot summer confronting the government’s announced nitrogen emission cuts, which some deem a land grab to make way for Agenda 2030.

Minister of Agriculture Henk Staghouwer has offered the infuriated farmers negotiation talks by next week, but on the condition that participants condemn last week’s demonstrations, which included roadblocks, demolition of police cars, arson, and drenching of several officials’ private homes in slurry.

Police trade unions have sounded the alarm, stating that they will not be able to keep a massive nationwide sit-down strike, which the farmers, in conjunction with several truckers and dock workers, announced for Monday, July 4, under control.

Holland closes dozens of farms and cattle ranches to reduce nitrogen by 30%. Angry and hungry farmers block the nation everywhere. pic.twitter.com/VNSodhGanB

— RadioGenova (@RadioGenova) June 28, 2022

They didn’t bother to beat up a bunch of unarmed anti-corona state terror demonstrators. However, keeping a couple of thousand tractor drivers at multiple national locations who deploy heavy machinery at bay is altogether a different issue. 

Multiple towing companies have refused to remove several tractors from the current roadblock sites, citing fears participation would affect future business prospects, local broadcaster RTV Drenthe reported.

Forces unite

All the more while the freight truckers and dock workers have announced intentions to chime in on the nationwide lockdown on airports, harbors, and distribution centers proclaimed to start on Monday.

Every reason is thus presented for Staghouwer to make haste by offering peace talks in an attempt to fend off July 4’s imminent actions.

After politicians' decision to close dozens of farms and cattle ranches to reduce nitrogen to comply with absurd EU regulations on nitrogen pollution, the angry Dutch farmers have issued an ultimatum threatening to block the country's airports, ports and distribution centers. pic.twitter.com/q4zcmI1PjU

— RadioGenova (@RadioGenova) July 1, 2022

However, the farmers’ leaders already announced they will push through with their rallies on Monday, regardless of what the Minister says.

“Our government is not yet impressed by the actions of the agricultural sector and rural people. Time for big actions starting Monday, July 4, 2022. Holland close, but keep it decent,” the organization said in Dutch on Telegram.

It is a clever card, however, that Staghouwer is playing by demanding the protesters’ bigwigs denounce last week’s demonstrations, thus trying to drive a wedge between the leaders and their infuriated support base in attempts to demoralize the grassroots movement.

Despite the fact that Dutch media have been continually framing the farmers in an attempt to have them lose support from the common people, 75 percent of the Dutch population still support the farmers and their actions, according to the latest polls.

The government’s tactic seems to be granting the farmers a sense of accomplishment and victory while they steam shovel the 2030 sustainable goals Agenda, which comes down to disowning farmers and self-supporting entrepreneurs and swapping their enterprises for Soviet-style state-run mega food production facilities — all under the pretext of saving the planet and keeping it from an environmental disaster.

A new farmers’ movement

Meanwhile, the newly founded farmers political party, the Farmers Citizens Movement, or BBB (BoerenBurgerBeweging) shot up in the polls, finishing behind only the ruling Liberal Party.

However, the BBB’s leader, Caroline van der Plas, just signed an agreement to come together with Dutch cabinet to find a way out of the nitrogen crisis.

In doing so, van der Plas acknowledges there is a nitrogen crisis in the first place, and that farmers, especially cattle ranchers are the greatest contributors to the problem. 

None of these claims — nitrogen overabundance, cattle farmers being the main culprit, and the related assumption that they contribute to global warming — that the government uses to justify its actions are proven facts or supported by scientific data. 

Moreover, the Dutch government maintains a commitment to the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals roadmap, which foresees turning the Netherlands, Flanders, and the German Ruhr area into one big residential barracks district called Tristate City, which would do away with farms in order to house some 40 million people.

Preparation for farmer disownment?

Holland, one of the world’s most densely populated and cultivated areas, appears to be a testing ground for potential rollouts of the farmer disownment program, at least when it comes to the European Union.

Meanwhile, armored YPR vehicles, bulldozers, and police vans of the elusive, elite Royal Marechaussee guards have already been spot ted at various strategic locations around likely protest sites, like Schiphol International Airport.

However, should the farmers remain united and manage to engage other potent groups like the truckers, fruit growers, flower bulb growers, dock workers, and bikers in their campaign, they may stand a chance against the heavily armored government forces and the Dutch can brace for a hot summer.

 

Source: https://www.visiontimes.com/2022/07/02/dutch-farmers-protest-nitrogen-fertilizer-agenda.html