Despite the farmers’ actions announced by action group Farmers Defense Force (FDF), it is very quiet in The Hague on Thursday. The farmers’ demonstration was from noon, but the turnout is small. Also from our province. Few Brabant farmers seem surprised about the shrinking number of colleagues participating. “FDF organizes these kinds of actions without consulting the big farmers’ organisations.”
The House of Representatives will debate on Thursday about the collapse of the agricultural agreement. FDF leader Mark van den Oever said on Tuesday he expected thousands of farmers at a new protest. “The motivation is high”, the FDF foreman was sure of his case at the time. According to him, this applies not only to farmers, but also to citizens.
Despite Van den Oever’s call and prediction, the turnout is disappointing. There are several hundred farmers in The Hague. According to eyewitnesses, ‘a small procession’ left Brabant for the Hofstad. That while farmers caused large traffic jams and blockages of highways around previous protests with tractors.
Zero success
Why is that? The farmers differ on this. Many of them want to talk about it, but without their names being mentioned in the article.
Kees Schoenmakers is one of the farmers who is willing to do so. He does not participate in FDF protests and today is no different. He says he does not feel represented by Van den Shore’s group.
“I don’t want to say it disrespectfully,” says Schoenmakers, “but if you’ve been tackling something for 3.5 years and you’re achieving zero success, you have to change tactics.” According to Schoenmakers, more farmers think that way. “The main reason I dropped out is that no successes have been achieved since 2019. You just notice that other farmers also experience this. And Mark van den Oever always has excuses ready to say why the turnout is not that great. But I don’t believe in that.”
‘White pit’
Another farmer, who wishes to remain anonymous, explains that he also has doubts about the current FDF strategy. He has been involved in several protests in the past.
“FDF organizes these kinds of actions without consulting the large farmers’ organisations. Mark van den Oever is a rough shell with a white pit. He shouts a lot, that’s how he is put together. But he also wants to see the successes pull themselves in by throwing out a vlog,” says the farmer. “Now it would be the intention that the CDA pulls the plug from the cabinet, but that will not happen today, I think.”
‘He fights for us’
Farmer Sjaak Wijnen from Wanroy is not there today for the first time. “We are extremely busy here. That’s why I’m not going. And honestly: people also get tired of fighting. Three times I went with a tractor. Then you’ll be gone for almost 24 hours. You have to get up at two and you’re not home until night.”
Incidentally, Wijnen says that he does not want to lose FDF or his foreman. “I know Mark fairly well and I know his father even better. He is not an extremist, as is sometimes said. He just wants to stand up for the farmers and fight for us. He is harsh in his statements. I wouldn’t always put it that way, but oh well.”
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