“I felt powerless. I feel threatened by what is going to happen and I am worried about the future of my company and family,” the suspect said during a quick trial in the court in Arnhem on Thursday.
The pig farmer from the Achterhoek village of Mariënvelde was caught red-handed on July 28 and was in pre-trial detention for four days. He was on trial because he and others blocked the slip road to the A18 motorway, which created a dangerous situation. He was also charged with dumping waste. According to the public prosecutor, it concerned sawdust, manure and straw. “Protesting is a fundamental right. And it is understandable that the nitrogen plans evoke a lot of emotion. But you are breaking a boundary if you create dangerous situations,” said the officer. He demanded 100 hours of community service and a two-week suspended prison sentence.
The police judge spoke of irresponsible and punishable behavior and serious criminal offences. “You shouldn’t think about what could happen if someone drives on such a mountain of waste. And these kinds of actions have led to great social unrest,” said the judge.
Familiar
The man confessed that he dumped straw with an unregistered tractor. He would not say with whom he was campaigning. The campaign was an initiative of a partnership of farmers in the Achterhoek. “I don’t support the action, but I felt I had to do something,” the pig farmer told the judge.
Farmers have been protesting the cabinet’s nitrogen plans for some time now. In recent weeks, garbage has been dumped or hay bales set on fire several times on various highways. Several people have been arrested recently. A case will be filed in Zwolle court on Friday against five men suspected of throwing beer bottles at the police. This happened in Zwolle during a farmers’ protest on 4 July at the Albert Heijn distribution center.