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Dutch farmers block streets with tractors in protest against environmental rules

Wednesday, 18 December 2019 8:42 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 8:48 PM ]

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Farmers with their tractors arrive in front of the Provincial Government Office of Gelderland in Arnhem, The Netherlands, on December 18, 2019, as they protest a clampdown on nitrogen emissions that they claim could wreak havoc on their businesses. (Photo by AFP)

Dutch farmers and construction workers blocked roads with tractors on Wednesday and gathered outside the offices of national broadcaster NOS and other media companies in the latest of a series of protests over environmental pollution rules.

The protests began after a court ruling in May found the Netherlands in violation of EU rules on 'reactive nitrogen' pollution, sparking a political debate over how to respond.

Farms are a major source of excess nitrogen, along with the construction and transport industries, and farmers feel they are being unfairly singled out.

Convoys of tractors and scattered demonstrations disrupted rush hour traffic on major motorways across the country.

The Dutch Senate passed a law Tuesday night containing emergency measures to tackle the nitrogen problem, including a measure that will lower the speed limit to 100 kph nationwide from March.

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