Thousands of Polish farmers march against EU’s Green Deal
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Thousands of protesters marched through the streets of the Polish capital Warsaw on Friday to show their opposition to European Union environmental regulations that farmers say are driving them out of business.
Farmers were joined by representatives of other branches of the Solidarity trade union, which organised the protest, such as miners and workers from the automotive sector.
Farmers in Poland and elsewhere in the bloc have been protesting in recent months against cheap food imports from Ukraine and restrictions placed on them by the EU‘s Green Deal to tackle climate change.
Polish government pledges grain surplus cut, farmers press on with protests https://t.co/QOIAtV2erh pic.twitter.com/XLZcyZRn9M
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 9, 2024
In a sea of red and white Polish flags and Solidarity banners, the protesters, many wearing yellow high-visibility vests, brandished placards with slogans like “Green Terror” and carrying the effigy of personified death on the platform.
Farmers have already won concessions from the EU and the Polish government, which said it would pay 2.1 billion zlotys ($526.74 million) in subsidies to compensate farmers for low grain prices, but they say it is not enough.
However, last month they decided to unblock border crossings with Ukraine, lifting a blockade that had dragged on for months, soured bilateral relations and buffeted Ukraine’s trade.