President Hubert Bruls of the Gelderland-Zuid Safety Region has immediately introduced a ban on demonstrating agricultural vehicles in Nijmegen.
The reason for this ban is some unannounced actions from last week.
On Tuesday, a group of demonstrators with tractors wanted to drive into a residential area to hand over a letter to environmental activist Johan Vollebroek. On Thursday and Friday, dozens of farmers with large agricultural vehicles tried to drive into different neighborhoods in Nijmegen to demonstrate. The police were able to prevent this in time for all actions.
According to the municipality, these demonstrations were not reported in advance. Bruls, who is also mayor of Nijmegen, sees this unpredictability as a risk for local residents. “They obstruct the passage for emergency services, so that there can actually be a health hazard. Road safety is also at stake.”
The chairman of the security region said that demonstration is still allowed in the municipality. “Provided timely reported and submitted.”
“It is not a general demonstration ban for farmers’ organizations or individuals. They are free to demonstrate in any other way than using agricultural vehicles on public roads.”
It ban in Nijmegen is set until Monday July 20. A similar ban was previously imposed in the IJsselland region in Overijssel, after a farmer’s protest at a distribution center of the Albert Heijn in Zwolle.
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