Farmers planning another tractor protest in The Hague on Thursday

Farmers Defense Force wants to go to The Hague with tractors on Thursday to demonstrate. “The tractors are at the forefront of the battle,” said FDF foreman Mark van den Oever on Monday evening at a meeting of the farmers’ organization in Apeldoorn.

Van den Oever expects thousands of demonstrators on Thursday. “The motivation is high,” the FDF foreman said. According to him, this applies to farmers and citizens. The Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch parliament, will debate the collapse of the agriculture agreement on that day.

FDF will leave it to the demonstrators to decide how to get tractors to The Hague. “As long as they get there.” Van den Oever refused to reveal where exactly the FDF wanted to demonstrate. Further details are still to be discussed, he said, and should become clear this week.

Past farmers’ protests with tractors caused severe traffic problems and damage in and around The Hague. The city, therefore, only allowed two tractors at a farmers’ rally in Zuiderpark in March, banning the rest of the vehicles from the city. The police stopped farmers who still tried to enter The Hague with a tractor.

The municipality of The Hague did not want to say how it views FDF’s plans to come to the city with tractors again on Thursday. “We have not yet received a notification,” a municipal spokesperson said. “As soon as we receive it, we will discuss how we can best facilitate the action.”

According to the municipality, it will then also discuss whether and how many tractors are welcome at the farmers’ protest.