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Post by pieter on Feb 6, 2024 10:51:48 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Feb 6, 2024 10:54:41 GMT -7
6 feb 2024 (1 Feb 2024) ASSOCIATED PRESS Brussels, Belgium - 01 February 2024 1. Various of protesters, fire, smoke, police and media near the European Union
STORYLINE: Farmers lit fires outside the European Parliament building in Brussels on Thursday as a part of ongoing protests over excessive costs, rules and bureaucracy.
The complaints were set to be heard by EU leaders at a summit later in the day, in a venue separate from where the protest was taking place.
Demonstrators lit hay on fire, as firefighters attempted to douse the flames.
It came after farmers had entered the Belgian capital riding heavy tractors in the early hours of the morning - the culmination of weeks of protests around the bloc.
Even if the EU summit was supposed to be laser-focused on providing Ukraine financial aid for its war against invading Russia, the farmers were likely to squeeze their plight onto the informal agenda of the 27 leaders too.
Most of the protesters have been young and family farmers feeling ever-more squeezed by anything from higher energy prices, cheaper foreign competition that does not have to abide by strict EU rules, inflation and climate change that either withered, flooded or burned crops.
Similar protests have been held across the EU for most of the week. Farmers blocked more traffic arteries across Belgium, France and Italy on Wednesday, as they sought to disrupt trade at major ports and other economic lifelines.
Farmers coming to Brussels on Thursday have been insisting their protest will be peaceful and security forces have handled the protests lightly so far.
The protests had an immediate impact on Wednesday — the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, announced plans to shield farmers from cheap exports from Ukraine during wartime and allow farmers to use some land that had been forced to lie fallow for environmental reasons.
The plans still need to be approved by the bloc’s 27 member states and the European Parliament, but they amounted to a sudden and symbolic concession.
AP Video by Sylvain Plazy
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Post by pieter on Feb 6, 2024 10:59:33 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Feb 6, 2024 11:00:45 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Feb 6, 2024 11:02:49 GMT -7
Please watch this video on YouTube
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Post by pieter on Feb 7, 2024 9:10:49 GMT -7
NOS News • Today, 2:24 PM • Modified today, 3:02 PMPolice and Public Prosecution Service will take harder and faster action against activists"The limit is full," says a joint statement from the Dutch police and the Public Prosecution Service (OM, het Openbaar Ministerie). In an emergency meeting with outgoing Minister of Justice Yeşilgöz, it was decided that stronger and faster action will be taken against activists who violate the law.
Outgoing Minister of Justice Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, and party leader of the conservative-liberal VVD party of demissionary Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The VVD is in negotiations with Geert Wilders Rightwing National Populist Freedom Party (PVV), the agrarian and right-wing populist Farmer–Citizen Movement (BBB; Dutch BoerBurgerBeweging and the new Center right political party New Social Contract of Pieter Omtzigt (a party with mainly former, dissident Christian Democratic CDA party members - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Democratic_Appeal -). Pieter Omtzigt stepped out of this negotiations yesterday leaving the PVV, VVD and BBB behind and creating new political problems. There will be probably new elections after this. It is hard to form a new government coalition in this way.
The reason is the farmers' protests in recent days, highway blockades by Extinction Rebellion and various protests during which "reprehensible" slogans were chanted. "These are not demonstrations, these are not protests, these are illegal actions or even the commission of crimes. The activists cannot get away with that," the statement reads.
One of the measures is on-the-spot fining; if this is not immediately possible, lawbreakers will be fined and prosecuted afterwards.Two arrestsYesterday, during question time, the minister lashed out at demonstrators who exhibit misconduct, such as blocking roads, setting arson and dumping waste. Yeşilgöz had nothing good to say about the farmers' protests that have gotten out of hand: "These are examples of crimes. What we saw last night are simply crimes."
Two arrests have now been made for dumping waste and arson on the A50. Two men were arrested during the protest and are in custody.
Earlier, a spokesperson on behalf of all four national police unions called the actions madness. "Citizens, police, fire brigades and other first responders are deliberately endangered. Setting fire to asbestos is extremely harmful to everyone. We absolutely support the right to demonstrate, but this has nothing to do with it."
The spokesperson criticized the lack of agreement between the local triangles - the mayor, the Public Prosecution Service and the police - and argued for more support. "Because there is currently no clear method of deployment, the police are blamed because they respond differently to different demonstrations. This must stop," the spokesperson said.
A first step towards backing has been taken with this new statement. But it is still unclear exactly what this backing will look like.
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Post by karl on Feb 7, 2024 10:35:27 GMT -7
Pieter
It would appear in the reality of such actions to have continued much too long as to not have the public sentiments in favour of this plight the farmers are experiencing. In short, this would be a fine time to decease such combative actions as of the past and present, to then form a representative committee to meet with Governmental leadership for creating a common consensus that each could agree upon.
At least the above would or should capture public sentiments for a reasonable solution for each side to follow.
Karl
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