The number of farmer protesters arrested by police in the Netherlands is mounting weekly as demonstrations against environmental proposals, which farmers say will lead to sizeable stock reductions, show no sign of abating.

The Irish Farmers Journal attended a traffic slowdown demonstration at Barneveld, located in the centre of the Netherlands on Friday, which saw over 80 farmers and hauliers shut a section of two intersecting national roads for over 45 minutes, causing traffic tailbacks for miles on all approaches to the junction town.

Many of those in attendance had attended the 22 June Stroe demonstration, which saw tens of thousands of farmers taking to the streets, as well as smaller, more local protests.

The towns of Ede, Vaasen and Veenendaal all saw traffic stops organised to coincide with the Barneveld demonstration at the same time of 3pm Friday to delay commuters on motorways. The protest was not organised by any official farmer group. Local farmers arranged the demonstration themselves on social media and by word of mouth the previous day.

There are smaller, more local protests to the government’s proposals organised in a similar ad-hoc way around the Netherlands.

When asked by the Irish Farmers Journal, many non-farming members of the Dutch public voiced support for farmers taking to the streets, despite the inconvenience caused by the demonstrations. Dutch flags can be seen flying outside homes in smaller towns, hung upside down in protest of the government’s plans.

Arrests

The Dutch police confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that “several tens” of farmers have been arrested since the 22 June protest in Stroe, with a spokesperson stating that “most” of those arrested were alleged to have threatened a government minister at her home.

“Threatening politicians is totally unacceptable and we will do anything to find and hold accountable those responsible for such deeds,” the police spokesperson said.

It was also confirmed that “several” police vehicles have been seriously damaged over the course of the protest wave.