THE HAGUE, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of farmers demonstrated in The Hague on Wednesday for the second national protest against the policy of the Dutch government to reduce nitrogen emissions.
In total, four protesting farmers were arrested, two for throwing fireworks, one for insult and another for not complying with an order. Police say the protest is so far without major incidents.
The farmers started their national campaign on Wednesday morning in the municipality of De Bilt, province of Utrecht, near the seat of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The reason to start there is that they believe the RIVM has made wrong calculations of nitrogen pollution by farmers.
On the advise of a commission report, the Dutch government plans to halve the livestock in the Netherlands, as old-fashioned livestock farmers are considered as one of the main nitrogen polluters based on RIVM figures.
RIVM Director Hans Brug was booed on stage in De Bilt after he stressed that the nitrogen calculations of the RIVM are of high quality. After the protest the farmers drove on their tractors to The Hague, causing enormous traffic delays and incidental blockades.
The tractors drove through the center of The Hague to the Malieveld park, although the municipality had not given permission for a demonstration at this location and had designated another demonstration site, the Koekamp park, where many farmers also gathered.
Het Binnenhof, the government center, has been closed for fear of demonstrations. The Dutch army was deployed to prevent the farmers from penetrating these closed areas.
"We see that demonstrators try to come to Het Binnenhof," warned Minister of Justice and Security Ferd Grapperhaus in the afternoon, urging everyone to stick to the arrangements.
Some tractors tried to reach Het Binnenhof, but did not succeed. After speeches of right-wing politician Geert Wilders, among others, the demonstration ended and the farmers drove home.
It was the second national farmer demonstration after the Oct. 1 protest which drew 10,000 demonstrators.
