Polish farmers are set to bring Poland to a standstill on Wednesday. Since midnight, a protest action by farmers has been underway, opposing the policies of the European Union and demanding a stop to the import of agricultural goods from Ukraine, with the farmers announcing roadblocks in 500 places across the entire country.
Key locations are to be blocked, from provincial cities to expressways, highways, and border crossings. The Nationwide Association for the Defense of Farmers Producers and Processors’ Rights has announced that the protest will last a month.
“This will be a star-shaped invasion of every provincial city. We will not give up until our demands are fully met. Tractors will enter the cities,” says Adrian Wawrzyniak, a spokesman for the agricultural “Solidarity” union.
But it’s not just Solidarity or other associations organizing protests. In many towns, grassroots farmer initiatives, often not affiliated with any organization, will join the protest.
The farmers’ demands are essentially the same as during previous strikes. They demand the suspension of agricultural imports from Ukraine, withdrawal from the European Green Deal, and the rebuilding of animal husbandry in Poland.
“The goal is to mobilize politicians and demand immediate action — withdraw from unfavorable regulations related to the European Green Deal. These directives negatively affect the agro-industry and limit the consumer’s right to consume native healthy food,” notes Jan Kaźmierczak, president of the Association for the Defense of Farmers Producers and Processors’ Rights.
