Police close down A9 highway to block protesting farmers

Protesting farmers are causing quite a bit of traffic chaos in Netherlands on Wednesday morning. At Alkmaar, a group of around 80 tractors climbed onto the A9 highway towards Amsterdam - against the orders of the police.

The police gave the farmers the option to take the next off-ramp, the Akersloot off-ramp, and avoid a fine. To make sure the farmers on their tractors give heed, at least nine police vehicles were parked across the highway to prevent the tractors driving any further.

In Tilburg, farmers surrounded an Albert Heijn distribution center, despite a court order prohibiting such actions. After driving circles around the center for about an hour, the farmers started leaving again, a spokesperson for the supermarket chain said to NOS.

Farmers are also blocking multiple on- and off-ramps to the Dutch highways, including those to the A2 at Nedcar in Born, according to 1Limburg. Traffic around Heerenveen is almost deadlocked, the ANWB said at around 8:30 a.m.