The protesting farmers spelled out ‘Fryslan’ and made the shape of a lily pad
Translated by Thomas Ansell
As reported by the Omrop Fryslân, the village of Loënga found itself hosting a large farmers protest on Monday evening. Farmers from across Friesland gathered with around 400 tractors to make a statement against various regulations proposed by Minister Carola Schouten (CU) of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality.
Making a somewhat artistic statement, the farmers parked their tractors in formation: spelling out both ‘Fryslan’, and making the outline of a lily pad, which features on the Province’s crest.
“We’re doing this to also get good news out”, said Lieuwe Dooper, who was standing, smilingly directing traffic onto the protest field. “We have set out the correct route via GPS for everyone”, as he pointed tractors to their correct spots. “This protest is intended to show another side to us instead of the negative picture [some people have]. I have been present at all of the protests, and also didn’t want to miss this one. I’ll keep going until I can’t any longer.”
The protest almost had the air of a small festival, with a podium erected for a singer to perform upon. Toilet blocks had been organised, and a food truck was also present. “We’re all from Workum”, said Jochum van der Gaast, “a half-hour drive, but we will do that. This protest is unique, and to create an image like this is great. I’m not a farmer myself, but we do have a business in the sector. We’re all connected to eachother.”
Unfortunately, whilst the protest was impactful and peaceful, around 34 fines were handed out by police, reports the Omrop Fryslân. Earlier yesterday, the Veiligheidsregio Fryslân had ruled that protesters could not use their tractors on motorways. All of the fines were handed out to drivers of tractors that had broken this rule.
Image: protesting farmers in the Hague. Via Flickr user Kees Torn. License here.
