Dutch farmers are set to protest against the government’s planned land grabs as elections approach.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in The Hague Saturday to protest the Dutch government’s plan to purchase 3,000 farms to comply with a European Union environmental mandate set to negate nitrogen emissions, according to ABC News.
Tomorrow the farmers are planning the biggest demonstration yet🚜
Netherlands is planning on forcing 3000 farmers to sell their land to the state. A land grab.
100 000 people are expected to show up.
I’m on my way there.
— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) March 10, 2023
Frustrated farmers drove tractors and carried signage to demonstrate discontent. (RELATED: Biden’s Budget Hands Another 1.6 Billion to UN’s Green Climate Fund)
Protestors claim livestock farms will close and fertilizer use will decline, insisting that heavy-handed solutions to exaggerated problems are unnecessary. Many farmers feel as though their industry was targeted, putting their livelihoods at stake, Reuters reported.
The Netherlands offered farmers compensation exceeding their property value for voluntary compliance. Farms located in areas deemed environmentally sensitive will be singled out for compulsory purchase, according to Fox News.
An emergency order was issued Saturday by The Hague’s mayor, extending police enforcement power to ensure safety.
The Farmers Defence Force, the city-approved group leading the demonstration, encouraged protestors to arrive by bus as police began to intercept those arriving by tractor.
Extinction Rebellion environmentalists plan to block traffic in a separate unauthorized demonstration on a thoroughfare near parliament.
Regional elections held on March 15 will decide the Dutch Senate’s composition. Regional governments are also responsible for implementing national government goals, such as nitrogen caps.