© Reuters. Spanish farmers attend a protest over worth pressures, taxes and inexperienced regulation, grievances shared by farmers throughout Europe, in Madrid, Spain, February 21, 2024. REUTERS/Juan Medina
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By Catarina Demony and Guillermo Martinez
MADRID (Reuters) – Convoys of tractors disrupted visitors across the Spanish capital on Wednesday as farmers protesting towards what they see as extreme purple tape and inadequate state help converged in downtown Madrid to march in direction of the Agriculture Ministry.
Farmers have been protesting for weeks throughout European nations, most not too long ago together with Poland, Greece and the Czech Republic. They all name for a discount of forms linked to the European Union’s Common Agriculture Policy and a loosening of the bloc’s environmental guidelines.
As they waited for 5 columns of tractors to succeed in the gathering level on the central Independence Square, protesters carrying yellow vests waved Spanish flags and rang cow bells there whereas blaring music from loudspeakers.
Traffic across the Puerta de Alcala monument floor to a halt, with a number of buses unable to proceed their routes as protesters crowded the streets.
Some farmers complained that police had been stopping tractors from getting into Madrid. The authorities stated that 500 tractors had been allowed entry – as that was the determine given by organisers when requesting authorisation for the protest – whereas a further 150 automobiles had been blocked from the town.
Two of the 5 columns had already arrived, the federal government stated, including that the one incident of observe was the blockade of the A42 motorway connecting Toledo to Madrid, which had been damaged up by the police.
Lucia Risueno, a 52-year-old winery farmer from the Castille-La Mancha area, stated that authorities had failed to assist the sector and referred to as for fairer costs.
“I have the same expenses but I’m making half as much, so we can’t go on like this,” she informed Reuters, including there was no restrict to the protests till the federal government carried out robust measures to assist farmers.
Adolfo Albaladejo, 54, stated he was preventing to make sure agriculture doesn’t disappear from his nation.
“The Spanish countryside wants protectionism. We want to protect our products and be competitive,” he stated.