Farmers are upset due to the recent renewable energy Act passed by Parliament. While Polish cultivators have been protesting for the hike in price of fertilizers and cheap food imports. While the Italian and Spanish farmers are facing increased fuel prices and skyrocketing costs.
Karl Marx had often said that, “Workers of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your chains”. Workers of the world have proved time and again that strikes are inevitable part of worker’s life. Farmer’s protest began in The Netherlands over proposals to slash emissions has spread to other parts of Europe and cultivators in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland. Let’s take a look what happened throughout the protest-
How it Started-
The protest kick started off in June as Dutch farmers protested over their government’s proposals to slash emissions of damaging pollutants, a plan that will likely force cultivators to cut their livestock herds or stop work altogether. Some 40,000 farmers gathered in June in the central Netherland’s agricultural heartland to protest the government’s plans.
Actions Taken by Protestors
Many protests have arrived by tractor, snarling traffic around the country. Famers have again taken their protests to crowded highways, driving slowly along the roads or stopping altogether. Some have dumped hay bales on roads, and small groups demonstrated at town and city halls, in some cases starting bonfires outside the buildings.
Why the Protest Erupted
The government have pointed out that emission of nitrogen oxide and ammonia, which livestock produce must be reduced drastically. But the Dutch farmers say that they are being targeted unfairly as pollutants. While other industries like aviation, construction, and transport are also contributing factors to emission. They also say that government has not given them clear picture of the future amid the proposed reforms.
Protests Spreads across Europe
German Farmers are upset due to the renewable energy Act amendments by parliament and hence they gathered to blockade roads with Netherlands at the border. Polish farmers have also rose up in protest over the cost of fertilizers and cheap food imports being allowed and thus increasing local production costs. In Spain, farmers have blocked highways in the southern region of Andalusia to protest against high fuel prices and rising cost of essential products. Italian farmers are also facing drought which have put them in severe condition.
All the countries farmers are on road due to lack of proper infrastructure of government and also due to mishap in the laws. The ongoing war has made it even catastrophic of farmers and this has impacted the food supply chain severely. The farmers protest backdrop, calls for proper laws in the country and proper schemes of the government to be implemented. Farmers are the backbone of a country’s economy and if the backbone is crippled then the body is surely to be handicapped. Therefore Karl Marx said, ” working class is revolutionary or it is nothing”.