Saturday, July 27, 2024
Czech farmers are planning a major protest in Prague on Wednesday, May 22nd.
This follows protests in February and March, when they rallied against the government and agriculture policies set by the European Union.
The head of the Czech Chamber of Agriculture, Jan Doležal, said that they will keep protesting until the government listens to their main demands.
However, Doležal expressed frustration with the government’s perceived lack of action, even on issues that wouldn’t require significant financial investment. He suggested the government might be hesitant to engage in dialogue but assured that farmers remain open to discussions.
Doležal said the farmers are getting desperate and frustrated, and they’re worried things won’t get better. The Chamber is planning more protests in early June, possibly with farmers from other European countries.
“Our goal is not to block the traffic in Prague, our goal is to present the problems in agriculture,” said Martin Pycha, the head of the Czech Agricultural Association, one of the organizers of the protest.
Farmers also complain about the low prices of their products and say grain and other agriculture products coming from Ukraine and other countries harm the market.
The protest will start in the morning with a parade from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The farmers still have to agree on the exact route. This will be followed by a demonstration in front of the Government Office from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm.
The organizers are also planning a public event at Letná Plain in Prague. This event will be from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm and will offer information, and entertainment. People can try Czech food and other products, take part in quizzes, and there will be competitions for both children and adults.
Tens of thousands of farmers and their supporters have rallied across Europe in recent weeks to voice their frustration over a range of issues, from insufficiently regulated cheap imports to overbearing environmental rules and red tape.
