On at least five highways in the middle of the country, farmers are demonstrating against the cabinet’s nitrogen plans on Wednesday morning. It concerns the area between Utrecht, Zwolle and Hengelo, says a spokesman for the ANWB. There are farmers with tractors and banners along or on the road. According to the ANWB, they have taken “junk”; wood, sand, manure and hay bales. In some places the hay bales have been set on fire.
Several highways or exits have been closed due to the protests. This mainly concerns places where farmers also blocked the way during previous protests; Lankhorst, Ommen, Bunnink, Bathmen, Ede and Stroe. Long traffic jams have already formed on some roads. “It’s a bit of a mess. Traffic nuisance is starting to increase now that the road is getting busier,” said the spokesperson.
On Tuesday, Johan Remkes, who has been appointed by the cabinet as a mediator in the nitrogen issue, invited the farmers for a meeting. Farmers’ organizations said they did not want to talk to him about this. Farmers believe that Remkes has too little room to negotiate about the way in which the cabinet should achieve the nitrogen targets.