Farmers want to paralyze all of Poland. They announce “cutting off all large cities”
Farmers are not giving up their weapons. On Wednesday, March 20, trade unionists announce a “star invasion” and a major blockade of all large cities in Poland.
Farmers' protests are ongoing not only in Poland, but also in many European countries. The strikers demand that the borders be sealed against the inflow of agri-food products from outside the European Union (mainly from Ukraine) and that the provisions of the Green Deal, which introduces a number of provisions enabling the achievement of climate neutrality by 2050, be abandoned.
On Friday, March 15, Janusz Wojciechowski announced that Brussels was abandoning mandatory fallowing and limiting pesticides. The Commissioner for Agriculture explained that there should be financial incentives instead of bans. Additionally, instead of mandatory crop rotation, Member States will be able to offer farmers crop diversification. The changes are to enter into force in 2025, but those who do not adapt to the new requirements this year will not formally face any consequences.
Farmers' protest. Where and when will the next lockdowns be?
Concessions from the European Union did not satisfy Polish farmers, who announced further demonstrations. The last large protest in Warsaw ended in riots with the police. As a result of the clashes, several officers were injured, over 50 people were detained and some of them were charged.
The next action was announced for Wednesday, March 20. At the beginning of the general strike planned for 30 days, agricultural Solidarity wants to block access roads to the largest cities. There will be a star raid on every city, we read. In turn, the Young Farmers Movement announced that 271 protests have been reported so far across the country. Poznań residents can expect huge difficulties, because protests are to take place in 40 places around the city in the capital of Greater Poland.
Protesting farmers also want to paralyze traffic on the roads entering Warsaw from the north and east, as well as the junction at the intersection of the S2 route and provincial road 801 on the right bank of the Vistula. There are also plans to block the S7 and S8 expressways and access roads to Lublin and Bydgoszcz.
