The demonstration in defense of the peasants occupied central Madrid on Wednesday, in a united protest It brings together farmers and ranchers from all over the stateAnd where do they participate? 500 Catalan farmers.
Mobilization began at Puerta de Alcala, where hundreds of tractors arrived from the five columns that marched towards the Spanish capital. They proceeded through the city center until they reached Ministry Of AgricultureWhere they stayed until seven-fifteen in the evening.
The Civil Guard stopped some tractors at the entrances to the Spanish capital. The Spanish government delegation in Madrid said that arrival in the city 500 tractors“, “As specified by the organizers in pre-mobilization communications.” They therefore added, “Passage was not allowed“From about 150 tractors since then Exceed the reported number.
Tense moments
Amid the exchange of blame, there were moments of tension between the protesters and the police, who came in to do some of the heavy lifting to try to prevent farmers from reaching the Ministry of Agriculture.
In this sense, the National Coordinator of the Peasants’ Union said, John CabalHe said that mobilization in the countryside “was always calm”:
“It seems that the state authorities are moving and want to obstruct the right to demonstrate, but here people are just demonstrating to express their rejection of policies and demand solutions to live in dignity.”
Cabal expressed himself in this way, after statements by the Spanish government in which it said that it expected the protest to be “security“.
They are demonstrating the “batch” of the recent protests
The participating farmers left from Lleida on Monday afternoon in private cars or by train to spend the night in Segovia. From there they joined a queue of tractors to continue on their way to central Madrid.
Esther Gomez, Farmer and member of a women's groupFarmers UnionHe explains what they went there to do:
“We will demand what the Farmers Union has demanded for years: that they pay attention to us once and for all.”
Farmers claim the Spanish capital Solutions for the sector, allegations that have been going on for years and have particularly crystallized in the protests of the past few weeks. Gomez realizes that they are taking advantage of the “pressure” these days.
The sector lives with Discomfort Several issues have worsened in recent years: from the increase in Production coststhe low prices Which drives them, because there is no control over them Importsthe new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), dangerous until And above all, excessive bureaucracy.
These weeks of mobilization caused political movements. In Catalonia, there were two meetings with the government.
At the last meeting, members of Plataforma Pagesa met with the Minister of Climate Action, David Mascourt, Who had to make several commitments to settle the claims, after a six-hour meeting.
Among other things, the state pledged to reformulate its special drought plan and provide grants of up to 80% for losses caused by water restrictions.
On the other hand, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food confirmed, Luis PlanasHe announced a package of 18 measures for the sector after meeting with the majority of agricultural professional organizations.
In the European Union, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyenagreed to back away from the pesticide reduction plan.
Measures in France to guarantee a minimum price for products
The discomfort in the agricultural sector is also being felt FranceMassive protests broke out weeks ago and the government was forced to respond.
This Wednesday Prime Minister Gabriel AttalHe pledged to strengthen the law to protect farmers and give them more leverage when negotiating with traders.
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