Business

Police close down A9 highway to block protesting farmers

By Janene Pieters on December 18, 2019 - 09:34

Police blocking the A9 at the Akersloot offramp in Alkmaar to force protesting farmers off the highway, 18 December 2019

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.

De @POL_NHN heeft de tractoren bij Akersloot op de #A9 tegengehouden. Zie tweet hieronder. Flinke vertraging richting Amstelveen. https://t.co/egJ0P7hGFe pic.twitter.com/JZd4QJfja6

— Rijkswaterstaat Verkeersinformatie (@RWSverkeersinfo) December 18, 2019

De @POL_NHN heeft de tractoren van de #A9 weggeleid voor de Wijker- en Velsertunnel. Geef hulpdiensten de ruimte en houd het veilig. https://t.co/LT5fUqCTx9 #boerenprotesten pic.twitter.com/DFO2L0Uzvk

— Rijkswaterstaat Verkeersinformatie (@RWSverkeersinfo) December 18, 2019

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.