The second large national farmers' protest had a major impact on Wednesday 16 October. After the demonstration at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in Bilthoven, the farmers occupied the Malieveld in The Hague in the afternoon.
After a short program including speakers of Farmers Defense Force, Forum for Democracy and the Party for Freedom (PVV), most farmers returned home at the end of the afternoon with their tractors. The police had hermetically sealed off the city center of The Hague for the day.
Follow instructions
The farmers were asked from various quarters to remain calm and follow the directions of the authorities and organization. Johan Remkes, acting mayor of The Hague, reports that the police were extra alert because the farmers did not keep to the agreements. For example, farmers drove the tractors along roadblocks and tried to reach the Binnenhof on foot. "Ignoring agreements is unacceptable and dangerous for shoppers," Remkes said in a statement.
Minister Carola Schouten (Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality) and Minister Ferdinand Grapperhaus (Justice and Security) also called on the farmers to let the demonstration take place in a controlled manner on Malieveld and Koekamp. Organizer Farmers Defense Force originally liked to see the tractors on the Binnenhof, but this was previously banned by the municipality of The Hague and the cabinet.
Protest at RIVM
Before the demonstration on the Malieveld started, 3.000 farmers had gathered at the RIVM in Bilthoven in the morning with a large column of tractors. The speakers included Jan Cees Vogelaar, chairman of the Mesdag Dairy Fund, and dairy farmer Jeroen van Maanen. Hans Brug, the director of RIVM, also gave a short talk.
Farmers Defense Force has called on the demonstrating farmers through their own chat groups to take a controlled action and also to keep this action public-friendly, in order to maintain the sympathy of citizens. Groups of citizens have also indicated on social media that they want to support farmers in The Hague.
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