Today, 08:32 • 6 minutes reading time
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REGION – Farmers plan to shut down the entire country on Monday. “Our government is not yet impressed by the actions of the agricultural sector and rural people. Time for major actions,” the statement read. The farmers are protesting against the cabinet’s nitrogen plans, but according to the farmers, politicians in The Hague are not listening. Follow all developments of the protest in our live blog.
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Exit distribution center Jumbo in Bleiswijk blocked
After the farmers left the distribution center of supermarket chain Hoogvliet, they drove on to the adjacent Jumbo distribution center. The supermarket company has a large branch on the Laan van Mathenesse. Jumbo employees were unable to enter or leave the complex for an hour. The blockade has been lifted since 3.45 pm.
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Block farmers leave Hoogvliet distribution center
At 2:45 pm, more than an hour and a half after the first farmers arrived at the distribution center of supermarket chain Hoogvliet, the demonstration is over. The protesting farmers left Bleiswijk with their tractors.
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– ‘Why all of a sudden such a focus on nitrogen?’
‘We have already reduced by half in the Krimpenerwaard in recent decades. Why do we need more then?’, a protester at the Hoogvliet distribution center wonders. And in addition: ‘We have a climate problem anyway. Why suddenly such a focus on nitrogen? It must be looked at whether large companies and aviation can also be tackled, not just the farmers. There are techniques that ‘filter’ nitrogen so that farmers can gradually downsize instead of now bang-boom.’
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– Farmers block Hoogvliet distribution center
Demonstrating farmers have blocked the access roads to the distribution center of supermarket chain Hoogvliet in Bleiswijk since 13:45. Only passenger vehicles are allowed through by the activists.
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Initially, the road was not blocked and all agricultural vehicles were parked in the grass. Tractors are now on the street, including at the intersection.
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– First farmers arrived at Hoogvliet distribution center
The column of farmers who drove their tractors from Moordrecht to Bleiswijk, arrived there around 1 p.m. and has lined up at the distribution center of supermarket chain Hoogvliet. The agricultural vehicles are posted on the grass strip next to the distribution center.
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The police are present and are monitoring the situation from a distance.
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Farmers on their way to Bleiswijk distribution center
A column of farmers leaves Moordrecht with their tractors. According to eyewitnesses, they are going to the nearby distribution center in Bleiswijk along the A12. Supermarket chains Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Hoogvliet and Aldi have their distribution center there.
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The police and the riot police monitor and guide the procession.
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– Sympathizers gather at A12 gas station
At the Esso gas station near the A12 in the direction of Zoetermeer, sympathizers of the Freedom Convoy organization gather to show support for the farmers. Those present demanded the departure of the cabinet. According to them, the nitrogen problem is being made bigger than it is.
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– Farmers want to shut down A4 The Hague – Rotterdam
Farmers protesting the nitrogen policy on Monday also have plans to start driving routes on highways across the country. One of the routes is the A4 between The Hague and Rotterdam.
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The A4 is one of the planned routes that will circulate online in groups that include farmer demonstrators. The proposed lists and maps include busy roads such as the ring road around Amsterdam, the A27 from Utrecht to Gorinchem, the A2 between Nederweert and Eindhoven, the A28 between Groningen and Assen and thus the A4.
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Actions are planned in all twelve provinces in this way, whereby farmers want to drive around the national roads on their tractors. It remains to be seen how exactly this part of the campaign will turn out, because as far as we know there is no central organization by known campaign groups and ‘collection points and routes can change during the day’, write those involved.
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Distribution centers target of farmers’ protests: ‘Desperate nigh’
The foreman of Agractie emphasizes that today’s campaign is all about shutting down distribution centers under the motto: ‘No farmers, no food’. ‘Let people feel what the weather is like not to have food in the supermarket.’ De Willigen supports the farmers in their action. According to him, the policy of the government is inadequate. Every action is needed at the moment to shake up politics and get this bizarre plan off the table. That way there is no farmer left.’
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Farmers block Jumbo distribution center next to A12
The distribution center of supermarket chain Jumbo in Woerden was occupied by protesting farmers on Monday morning. The farmers block the entrance and exit of the distribution center next to the A12 by parking their tractors there. Banners hang on the tractors with texts such as ‘The Hague, suffocate in your dust’ and ‘with Rutte you know your pussy’.
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– Quiet at Rotterdam The Hague Airport for the time being
No tractors were spotted at Rotterdam The Hague Airport on Monday morning. The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee is on standby and has placed several vehicles around the access vehicle and is closely monitoring the situation. There have been rumors before that airports could be potential targets of the farmer’s protests. Spokesperson Raymond de Jong has not yet seen any farmers pass by. “We’ve been targeted, but it’s quiet at the airport.”
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De Jong hopes that the airport will remain accessible to travelers for the rest of the day. There are 61 flights scheduled today and he hopes they can all go ahead. ‘It is a fairly busy day with passengers. We noticed in the morning that it was already very busy in the terminal and people were present well in advance. We understand the farmers, but emphasize that the roads to the airport must remain accessible.’
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– CBR takes into account farmer protests during exams
The Central Bureau of Driving Licenses (CBR) will take into account the announced large-scale protests throughout the country on Monday. People who are unable to attend their driving test or who are late due to possible roadblocks will be given a new exam opportunity within the foreseeable future and at no extra cost.
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The CBR says that no exams will be canceled yet, “because it is currently unclear where and when the protests will take place.”
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Region braces for farmer actions: deployment of defense and extra police
Defense units are on standby, additional police officers have been called to work and more people are being deployed to closely monitor the roads. Next Monday, there may be violent actions in various parts of the country against the cabinet’s nitrogen plans. Farmers use their own communication channels to call on ‘to shut down the whole of the Netherlands’ with a large-scale campaign. But what exactly will happen is unclear. Companies and agencies in the region are therefore quite in the dark, but have already taken measures to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
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