Several have been arrested and the police have fired warning shots at farmers who are demonstrating in the Dutch city of Heerenveen on Tuesday night.
Less than 20 minutes ago
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Farmers in the Netherlands have been protesting for several weeks against the government’s plan to cut nitrogen emissions in the country.
They have blocked roads, set fire to high haystacks, blocked entrances to shops and driven tractors through the streets of the political capital The Hague.
Scot and tractor
Also on Tuesday night, there were protests in several Dutch cities.
The Telegraph reports that the police fired shots during the demonstration in the city of Heerenveen on Tuesday night.
According to the police, some of the protesters tried to drive into their crews and service cars in the city. This must have happened at a ramp to the highway.
– A threatening situation arose. It was fired by targeted shots and warning shots, the police told the newspaper.
No one should be injured, but a tractor should be hit by a bullet. This also shows image and video circulating in social media.
Will be investigated
Three people are to be arrested after the incident.
The case is being investigated, which is not uncommon when the police use weapons.
Maarten Brink in the police union ACP tells De Telegraaf that he has seen the picture online, but points out that it is unclear what has happened.
He says that the police do not use firearms without a basis for it.
In conflict with climate goals
Cutting plans in the Netherlands are the cause of the anger of farmers, who are afraid of losing their livelihood.
Authorities say new demands are needed for restructuring. Nitrogen emissions are too high, and a court has ordered drastic cuts to protect nature.
In recent years, this has led to several construction projects not being allowed to start, the farmers have also been asked to cut around 40 percent in their production, which may lead to a reduction in the number of animals.
The Netherlands is the largest exporter of agricultural products in the world, but is also one of the countries in Europe that emits the most greenhouse gases. Much of the emissions are due to agriculture and certain types of animal feed.
In 2019, climate activists won in the judiciary, where the Supreme Court ruled that the authorities did not do enough to reduce emissions. Thus, the government was forced to make more drastic emissions cuts.
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