Farmers in the Netherlands have created their own version of Canada’s “Freedom Convoy,” blocking highways with tractors, setting hay bales on fire and taking other actions to protest the government’s recent goal to cut emissions that could force some farms to close. “Where is our prime minister? This country is burning and the farmers are resisting the government,” a representative of the protests said while standing over a hay bale in the town of Eerbek last week, the Guardian reported. Around 40,000 protesters gathered in central Holland to protest plans to curb nitrogen and ammonia emissions last month. Weeks later, protests continued across the country with no sign of abating. Photos and videos show farmers bringing a highway near the German border to a standstill, with some Germans reportedly even joining the protest. Hundreds of businesses in three cities were effectively shut down due to three separate protests, the Guardian reported on Saturday. Meanwhile, some supermarkets have barren shelves as farmers also target distribution centers earlier this month. DUTCH POLICE SHOOT AT TRACTOR ON NIGHT OF FARMERS’ PROTESTS Farmers gather with their vehicles next to a German/Dutch border sign during a protest on the A1 motorway, near Rijssen, on June 29, 2022, against the Dutch government’s nitrogen plans. – Netherlands OUT (Photo by Vincent Jannink / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT (Photo by VINCENT JANNINK/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) (VINCENT JANNINK/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) Farmers say the protests are not meant to anger fellow citizens and consumers, but to force the government into a referendum. ROTTERDAM ROCKS IN UNION OVER PARLIAMENTARY MEASURES, OFFICERS INJURED, POLICE REPORT The Dutch government aims to reduce nitrogen and ammonia emissions by 50% by 2030 in an effort to improve air, land and water quality. The plans include reducing the fertilizers used on farms and reducing the number of animals by around 30%. The country is one of the largest producers of agricultural products in the world, exporting about $97 billion in 2020 fruits, flowers, vegetables, dairy products and meat. “If you ask me now, I would say, please don’t even think about it,” dairy farmer Jaap Zegwaard said of whether he would recommend farming to younger generations. “There are so many concerns. Life is too beautiful to deal with what is happening in the agricultural sector at the moment.” Farmers block the arrivals and departures halls at Groningen’s Eelde Airport in Eelde, the Netherlands, to protest the government’s sweeping plans to reduce nitrogen emissions on July 6, 2022. (KEES VAN DE VEEN/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) “Ask the average farmer: it’s deeply sad,” he said. Farmers say they are unfairly targeted by the rules, while other industries such as aviation, construction and transport also contribute to emissions and face fewer rules. Farmers also argued that they have not been given a clear picture of their future in light of the reforms.
ANGRY DUTCH FARMERS FLUSH 700 MILES OF MOTORWAY IN PROTEST OVER EMISSIONS RULES The tractor convoys are a nod to Canada’s Freedom Convoys, the Guardian reported, which took place across Canada earlier this year to protest the nation’s strict policies on coronavirus vaccines. Fishermen in the Netherlands also joined the protests, blocking the port in Harlingen with trawlers last week, EuroNews reported. The protests have become so widespread that Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger called out the farmers in Dutch during a concert in Amsterdam on Thursday. Dutch protests gained more attention on Tuesday when police opened fire on a 16-year-old farmer driving a tractor in the country’s northern region during a protest. The teenager reportedly drove his tractor towards the police, according to German newspaper Deutsche Welle. After initially being held on suspicion of attempted murder, the teenager was released without charge. No one was injured during the incident, according to police. The protests were mostly peaceful, with one demonstration about 60 miles east of Amsterdam pulling aside a road to let two funeral processions pass. Farmers at the demonstration also handed out food and coffee to police officers, the Guardian reported. The nation’s prime minister, Mark Rutte, has meanwhile criticized the protesters, including calling them “holes” on private companies, according to the Guardian. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP “It is not acceptable to create dangerous situations. It is not acceptable to intimidate officials,” he said last week. The Associated Press contributed to this article.