On Thursday morning, farmers returned to blocking the borders with Ukraine. The crossings in Medyka and Korczowa were blocked. The protest in Hrebenne and Dorohusk is still ongoing.
- Blockades at border crossings with Ukraine have been in place since February 9.
- All this time, protests are maintained at the borders in Hrebenne and Dorohusk.
- The blockade in Zosin was suspended after the talks in Jasionka.
The border crossing in Dołhobyczów was also blocked until Tuesday, April 16. However, farmers there were forced to suspend their protest. The pressure from the authorities and carriers was so strong that they decided to leave the border.
More borders blocked
Today, farmers in Medyka and Korczowa are returning to the border.
– We are starting a 48-hour warning strike – informs us Roman Kondrów, the organizer of the protest in Medyka. – If no one from the government reacts, the strike will be extended – he adds. The crossing in Barwinek will also join the protest, but with a slight delay due to the need to extend the permit. Only passenger cars, minibuses and buses will be allowed through, as well as one truck per hour.
Farmers emphasize that this is the worst possible time for strikes due to the workload in the fields. However, as they say, they have no choice.
Dorohusk will not come down, there is no force that would pull us down from here, says Barłomiej Szajner from Dorohusk. – We are intimidated, there are attempts to put pressure on us both from the local government and from carriers, but we will not give in – he announces.
Farmers have been trying to conduct a dialogue with the government for several weeks, but the longer it takes, the less it gives. During the negotiations, two Agricultural Summits were held, convened by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Even though the farmers were full of hope after the first meeting, it only got worse.
Lack of specific details, the government’s failure to implement the announced meetings and constant postponement of the dates. Then there was the signing of agreements in Jasionka, which, instead of calming down the situation, divided the farmers.
The Prime Minister is still silent
Last week, on March 11, farmers from the Grassroots Nationwide Farmers’ Protest were supposed to meet with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The meeting was postponed to Sunday, April 14. However, due to the Prime Minister’s illness, it was canceled and the farmers’ representation met with Minister Jan Grabiec. As they emphasize, it was a technical meeting that actually brought nothing. The new date was to appear on April 16. To date (April 18), the Prime Minister’s Office has not received any proposal with a date.
They are obviously keeping us waiting, but we won’t give up. The government hopes that when we go out into the fields, we will stop protesting. It is not possible. Our situation is so tragic that we have nowhere to go back, farmers argue.
Farmers feel ignored and played by the government. Protests continue throughout the country. Since February 20, the expressway in Koszalin has been continuously blocked. From February 9, there was also a protest at the Modlibórz junction, on the S3 route. However, it was dissolved yesterday by the mayor, and the contested decision was also upheld by the court.
We are forced to leave the roadblocks, says Michał Szczepański, organizer of the protest at the border crossing in Dołhobyczów. – We had a choice: either the mayor dissolved the protest and we were not able to return to the border, or we suspended the demonstration. We chose the lesser evil.
A demonstration against the Green Deal organized by NSZZ Solidarność NSZZ Rolników Indywidualnych Solidarność is also announced for May 10.
NSZZ “Solidarność” and NSZZ Rolników Indywidualnych “Solidarność”, as part of their opposition to the aggressive climate policy implemented by the European Union, are organizing a demonstration under the slogan: “Down with the Green Deal”, which will take place on May 10, 2024 in Warsaw. We start at Castle Square at 12. See you in Warsaw! – wrote representatives of the Independent Farmers’ Trade Union “Solidarity” on Facebook.
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