Polish farmers stage massive protest in Warsaw over EU Green Deal, Ukrainian imports
In front of the Polish PM's Office, farmers burn tires & a coffin symbolizing the potential "death" of their agriculture sector amid EU policies and "Ukrainian competition."
Polish farmers started a large-scale protest in Warsaw on 6 March, Polsat News reported.
The strike is organized against the EU’s Green Deal policies and Ukrainian agricultural imports to the EU, claiming that these Ukrainian imports create unfair competition. In early February, Polish farmers began blocking trucks at the Ukrainian border over the same issues.
Farmers began an action in front of the Prime Minister’s office at 11:00 am, setting tires on fire, according to the Polish outlet. Polish farmers also set on fire a coffin, which reportedly symbolized Polish agriculture.
According to Polsat News journalists, the farmers participating in the strike carry anti-Ukrainian banners.
The protesters addressed the Polish Prime Minister with the demand for “the protection of Polish borders from the influx of uncontrolled products from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus.”
“If the government doesn’t protect us, we will perish. Poland will disappear. We are all united together. In unity, there is strength, we will not allow the farmers to be divided,” one of the protest leaders said during his speech.
According to media reports, the farmers were prohibited from entering Warsaw with tractors. Barriers and spikes were set up to prevent farmers from entering the capital.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed on 5 March to meet with farmers on 9 March, to resolve the contentious issues.
Tusk also announced the submission of a draft resolution to the Sejm (Polish parliament), calling on the European Commission to impose sanctions on importing food and agricultural products from Russia and Belarus.
In a recent statement in Prague in February, he announced the possibility of expanding the national embargo on Ukrainian grain imports to encompass additional products.
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