Dutch greens want farmers to get rid of half their livestock

Dutch farmers block 1,000 kilometers of highway leading to the Hague.

Arthur Lyons

The Netherlands saw massive traffic jams over 1,000km long on the roads toward the Hague on Tuesday as thousands of farmers descended on the city to stage mass demonstrations on their tractors.

The mass demonstration was triggered by a recent proposal by the D66 party, a member of the governing coalition, which suggested that livestock farming should be reduced considerably to reduce nitrogen emissions.

Jesse Klaver, the leader of GroenLinks (Greens), and D66 leader Rob Jetten, both have proposed that farmers halve their livestock.

Farming organizations say that their members are tired of being characterized by the mainstream globalist press, left-wing activists, and liberal politicians as “environmental criminals” for producing the country’s food, Dutch News NL reports.

“Farmers and growers are sick of being painted as a ‘problem’ that needs a ‘solution,’” Dick Bruins the agricultural industry group LTO,” said in a statement.

“Suddenly everyone is worried. We’re getting blamed and badly represented in the media, everyone is blaming us for climate change but planes are worse than farmers and no-one is talking about them,” Vincent, a 17-year-old dairy farmer told journalists at the BBC.

Similarly to the public support enjoyed by the French Yellow Vests, these protests are reported to have widespread support throughout all sectors of Dutch society.

PVV, VVD, ChristenUnie, and CDA all came out to support the farmers. Pieter Heerma, the parliamentary party chairman of the CDA referred to the occasion as a “historic” one.

Populist PVV leader Geert Wilders climbed a tractor to deliver his speech armies of farmers, assuring food producers that they are “the heroes of society” and remain widely respected by citizens.

Wilders took the opportunity to tell the farmers that they have played an integral role in lowering nitrogen emissions, but instead of being recognized for it, they’re being threatened with bankruptcy and scapegoated as polluters and animal rights abusers.

https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/10/dutch-farmers-revolt-paralyzing-roads-with-mass-protests-against-environmental-directives/