Dutch farmers demanding more respect cause 'busiest rush hour ever' in the Netherlands

Dutch farmers demanding more respect cause 'busiest rush hour ever' in the Netherlands
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By Rachael Kennedy
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Dutch farmers taking part in a protest that involves driving their tractors to The Hague resulted in the "busiest rush hour ever" in the Netherlands.

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A protest involving thousands of Dutch farmers driving their tractors to The Hague to demand more respect has resulted in the "busiest morning rush hour ever", according to a road and drivers organisation.

The ANWB estimated around 2,500 tractors had driven in convoys to take part in the protest in The Hague on Tuesday, alongside 10,000 demonstrators.

Police were forced to close a number of roads leading into the city, which is home to the Dutch government, causing large backlogs of traffic.

The protest was organised as a response from Dutch farmers who feel they are treated as "a problem instead of a solution" for a number of issues, including environmental causes.

It comes almost a year after a court found the Netherlands had not done enough to combat climate change and cut its emissions - something local farmers say has been blamed on them.

"Farmers and market gardeners throughout the Netherlands are expressing their indignation at the political debate that is being waged over the sector," LTO Nederland, an organisation for farmers and horticulturalists, said.

In a series of tweets, The Hague police said several people had been arrested over two incidents that "compromised safety" during the protest.

The first saw a tractor drive over a central reservation after ignoring instructions from police, while the second incident saw a tractor drive into some gates in the city.

The force added: "The police respect that farmers are standing up for their interests and we are trying to facilitate the demonstration with hundreds of tractors as well as possible.

"That is of course not possible without any coordination."

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