Many EU countries have been the scene of vehement protests against the bloc’s agricultural policies and the effects of Ukrainian grain imports.
On Wednesday March 6, 2024, Poland experienced its most violent demonstration by farmers and their supporters. Some participants threw stones at police and tried to break through barriers around parliament, injuring several officers, police said.
Police used tear gas and said they arrested more than a dozen people and prevented protesters from reaching the Diet, Poland’s parliament.
Farmers are angry over EU climate policies and food imports from Ukraine. Many similar protests have taken place in recent weeks across the 27 member states of the European Union, but this one was significantly more violent than previous ones in the central European country.
The police indicated on the social media, X (formerly Twitter), that their agents “are not involved in the current conflict” and warned that behavior threatening their safety “cannot be taken lightly and require a firm and decisive response”.
Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michał Kołodziejczak said he did not believe that “Real farmers rioted in front of the Diet today”and that it was necessary to isolate “provocateurs and troublemakers”.
He did not specify who he believed was behind the violence.
Farmers on tractors blocked highways leading to Warsaw, while thousands of their supporters gathered outside the prime minister’s office before heading to parliament. Some trampled a European flag and burned a fake coffin bearing the word “farmer”.
Among the crowd were miners, rangers, hunters and other supporters. They blew horns and set off firecrackers and smoke bombs, despite warnings from police who had banned the use of pyrotechnic devices. Some demonstrators burned tires.
The “Green Deal” and Ukrainian imports targeted by farmers
Protesters are demanding the withdrawal of the European Union’s “Green Deal”, a plan intended to combat climate change and protect biodiversity. This plan includes forcing farmers to reduce the excessive use of polluting chemicals to improve their harvests.
The protests led politicians to water down certain provisions.
Protesters also want the border between Poland and Ukraine to be closed to stop imports of Ukrainian food products, which farmers say are driving down market prices and endangering Poland’s agricultural sector.
The protest has increased pressure on the new government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a former president of the European Council, who is staunchly pro-EU and seeks to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Donald Tusk worked to accommodate the farmers’ demands, believing their frustrations were justified. He announced that he plans to propose amendments to the Green Deal.
Anti-Ukrainian slogans were used during protests in Poland, where authorities said they feared Russia would try to exploit legitimate concerns to create divisions between Warsaw and Kyiv.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing account for less than 3% of Poland’s GDP, according to the World Bank.