Late Wednesday evening, farmers and sympathizers went to the town hall of Coevorden with about fifty tractors. There they presented the local CDA party with a letter for the national parent party. The request: pull the plug from the cabinet.
According to Herke Meppelink, mechanic by profession and one of those present, the idea for the action arose at the carpool area near Wachtum, where the farmers met on Wednesday evening.
It is not known whether the letter was written on the spot. Newspaper of the North did not see the letter.
In the end, the group, which consisted of farmers and sympathizers of the agricultural sector, decided to go to the town hall in Coevorden. The CDA faction happened to be meeting there.
“Most people think that the discussion is only about the farmers,” says Meppelink about the action. “But there are also many other professions and sectors that have to do with farmers, such as transport, feed suppliers and technicians.” If the farmers are in trouble, they also have a problem, says Meppelink.
Letter intended for national CDA
CDA alderman Jeroen Huizing confirms that the farmers have visited and handed over a letter. “But not to me. As an alderman, I represent the entire council. The letter has been handed over to the group.”
The alderman says he does not know the contents of the letter exactly. “From what I understood it was a call to the national CDA.” Was the local faction shocked by the unannounced arrival of the farmers? No, says Huizing. “There are also some farmers in our group. So no, we are not surprised by this.”
Huizing says that the farmers were only interested in national policy. “They emphasized that themselves. The relations between the farmers and the municipality and province are also good.”
When asked what he thinks of the action, he keeps quiet. “I find that question difficult to answer. I’m here as a city manager. Only the group can answer that question.” The group could not be reached for comment on Wednesday evening.
Farmers back to The Hague tomorrow
For a while it seemed that the farmers would move on to The Hague, where farmers will demonstrate again tomorrow. However, around 11 p.m., the group returned home. Meppelink himself says he will not go to The Hague. He just wanted to show solidarity and borrowed the tractor he was riding from a friend.
He does not think that the farmers, some of whom are expected to drive west tonight, will just enter The Hague. “Or it must be very hard. That may well happen in the future.”