Farmers in Italy, who have been protesting for weeks against the European Union’s (EU) agricultural policies, rising production costs and cuts in support for the sector, gathered in Rome once again to make their voices heard by the government.
Farmers, who have been protesting in the country for weeks and brought their protests to the capital with their tractors last week, protested in Rome again today.
In a smaller-scale demonstration compared to the previous ones, a group of about 200 farmers came to Repubblica, one of the most important squares of Rome, with 2 tractors. Some farmers were seen bringing calves with them.
Arguing that the EU is killing agriculture in Europe with its green and environmentalist policies, the farmers put a coffin with a sickle on a tractor frame and hung the flags of other EU member states Germany, Spain, Portugal, Romania and Greece.
Banners reading “We are not slaves of Europe”, “Agriculture is dying” and “We are fighting to save agriculture” attracted attention at the protest.
Farmers noted that everyone involved in agriculture from the north to the south of the country was united in this protest.
During the protest, security forces took extensive security measures to prevent farmers from moving to the city center.
Some farmers briefly blocked Nomentana Boulevard.
Salvatore Fais, one of the farmers’ representatives, told the press, “We blocked traffic because we want answers to our demands. We want the Minister of Agriculture to receive us.”
Farmers in action in Europe
Farmers in many EU countries, particularly in Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Belgium, Poland, Italy and Hungary, are dissatisfied with the recent agricultural policies.
In most European countries, farmers are protesting with their tractors to draw attention to the problems they face.
Farmers in the EU are intensely critical of the Union’s agricultural policies, nature restoration targets, cuts in subsidies, high energy, fuel and fertilizer costs as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, cheap grain products from Ukraine and water saving measures.
Farmers criticize the EU for “making agricultural production more difficult by imposing strict rules on the use of carbon fertilizers and pesticides under the Green Deal.”
