The police fired targeted shots at a farmer’s protest near Heerenveen on Tuesday evening. Rioting farmers tried to drive into police officers and official cars with tractors. Targeted shots were fired during the threatening situation that arose at the time. Warning shots were fired earlier. This is reported by the Friesland police. No one was injured.
Tractor drivers tried to drive into the officers and police vehicles around 10:40 PM. Police subsequently fired warning shots. Then a shot was fired.
One of the tractors was hit by the aimed shots. Three people have been arrested. No one was injured.
The incident happened at a ramp to the A32 near Heerenveen. The National Criminal Investigation Department is investigating the incident. The road is currently closed.
Maarten Brink of the ACP police union says he has seen the images online, but believes it is unclear what preceded the incident. Agents “never ‘just’ grab the firearm”, says the trade unionist. “The gun is the heaviest.”
BBB wants emergency debate with Rutte
Member of Parliament Caroline van der Plas of the BoerBurgerBeweging indicated immediately after the escalation that she wanted an emergency debate with Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Wednesday.
“Have seen the images of shots fired at #farmers in Friesland. I have been warning for an escalation of protests for some time. On Wednesday I want an emergency debate about this with Prime Minister and Minister of J&V (Justice and Security). This is going wrong, I said. last week. And it goes wrong,” Van der Plas responded late on Tuesday evening on Twitter.
Protests across the country
Farmers also took action in several other places in the country on Tuesday evening. For example, a short-term blockade took place on the A50 between Arnhem and Apeldoorn. Hay bales and tires were also set on fire. The fire brigade is on site to extinguish the fire.
Distribution centers in Geldermalsen and Weert were again blocked for some time. A procession of tractors has also departed from Schaijk, but it is not clear what their destination is.
Regional media report that in Sint Annaparochie (Friesland) trucks and tractors are blocking the gates of a wholesaler in fruit and vegetables.
Earlier in the day, all farmers’ actions seemed to have come to an end. The last farmers left Gaarkeuken after an ultimatum around 6 p.m. Before that, campaigns in Haaksbergen, Drachten, Gieten, Hengelo, Heerenveen and Nijkerk had already come to an end.
Minister Dilan Yesilgöz (Justice and Security) called the days-long blockade of distribution centers earlier in the day “not okay”. The farmers have been engaged in a large-scale protest against the government’s nitrogen policy since Monday.
Yesilgöz wants the farmers to take action in a way that “does not get other people in trouble”. Supermarkets say they have already suffered “tens of millions of euros” in damage due to blockades at distribution centers.
Groningen Airport Eelde
The farmers will protest at Groningen Airport Eelde on Wednesday morning, to confirm Mayor Marcel Thijsen van Tynaarlo and airport director Meiltje de Groot on Tuesday evening against RTV Drenthe† The protest is “in close consultation” with the authorities, says Thijsen.
“There has been contact with the farmers, the Public Prosecution Service, the police, the Marechaussee and the municipality,” said Thijsen, who plans to attend the protest. farmers have said they want to keep the protest tidy.