Czech Farmers Return to Prague with Protest Ride on March 7th

Hundreds of tractors are expected to arrive in Prague for a protest ride on Thursday, March 7th.

Organizers emphasize their intention to avoid blocking the city’s main streets, focusing the route primarily along the embankment in Prague 7, Milady Horáková Street, and culminating in a demonstration in front of the Straka Academy, the seat of the Government of the Czech Republic

“We’ve chosen a route that primarily targets government buildings,” explained Jan Doležal, president of the Czech Chamber of Agriculture.

“This won’t be a blockade, but rather a movement of agricultural equipment around Prague.” Specific details regarding the protest and the route haven’t been disclosed yet.

“We urge all farmers, regardless of their operation size or production focus, to join us,” Doležal added. “We also kindly request patience from Prague residents and those in other major cities. Our goal isn’t to cause inconvenience, but to bring attention to the long-standing issues faced by the agricultural sector.”

On March 1st, Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný (KDU-ČSL) proposed certain measures to address the farmers’ concerns, but they were deemed insufficient.

While acknowledging the right to protest, Výborný expressed his willingness to continue negotiations but stressed his opposition to negotiating under ultimatums.

According to the spokesperson for the Agrarian Chamber of the Czech Republic, protests are planned in other regions besides Prague on March 7th, though specific locations haven’t been announced.

On February 19th, hundreds of Czech farmers drove their tractors into downtown Prague, as they joined protests against high energy costs, stifling bureaucracy and the European Union’s Green Deal.

Farmers across Europe have taken to the streets this year, including in Poland, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, to fight low prices and high costs, cheap imports and EU climate change constraints.