Farmers in the Netherlands continue to protest government proposals to reduce CO2, nitrogen oxide, and ammonia by 50% by 2030..Tensions are increasing and there is. even a report of police opening fire..In September 2021, the Dutch government released proposals to kill 30% of the nation’s livestock supply in a bid to reduce their nitrogen runoffs and emissions. The Netherlands is home to more than 100 million cattle, hogs, and chickens.."The government has admitted some farms will have to shut down in areas which are particularly vulnerable to the impact of nitrogen-based pollution, much to the fury of radical farmers, known as the Farmers Defence Force," Dutch News reported on June 19th..Farmers numbering approximately 40,000 across the nation gathered to blockade ports and distribution facilities, create slow-roll protests on the nation's highways, including using hay bales to block roads and access points. They have also located politicians' homes and dumped farm manure outside their houses in protest of the regulations..Recent reports on social media show farm tractors and trailers blockading Groningen Airport..Demonstrations began on June 22, when farmers began political action on the streets to fight back against the government’s mandatory climate rulings..Schools have been closed and major roadway traffic has been rerouted as a consequence of the farmers' actions..Reports surfaced Tuesday night on social media that the situation on the ground had escalated. A video posted to Twitter shows a police officer apparently raising his firearm at a passing tractor immediately after which two shots can be heard in the footage..The police fired the targeted shots at the farmer's vehicle at a protest in Heerenveen. Police said protesters tried to drive into police officers and their cars and that the officer felt threatened by the protesters. The officer fired targeted shots, the police said..The shooting incident happened at an on-ramp to the A32 highway. The Rijksrecherche — the department that handles internal investigations at government services — will investigate the shooting as is standard procedure when a police officer fires their service weapon..Criminal lawyer Christian Flokstra queried the police action. “The video raises questions about the need to shoot, and so good investigation will have to follow,” he said on Twitter. “What I am afraid of now is that parliament will debate a 34-second video.”.Farmers action group Argactie shared the video on its Facebook page. “And still Minster Van der Wal refuses to talk. Do people have to die first?” reads one of the captions. Argactie also said the incident could have ended badly if the bullet had been fired to either side. “Are farmers dangerous criminals or something?” the group said. “And from now on? Block police stations?”.Netherlands News Live reported continued blockades across the Netherlands have led to logistical backlogs and delays, as export orders are not making flight departures and destinations, and long hold-ups on the nation's roadways delay Dutch travellers and commercial traffic..Dutch fishermen have also joined the farmer protest against the climate change-inspired policy that will allegedly destroy thousands of blue-collar jobs and close dozens of farms in the Netherlands.
