Gallery: Farmers and tractors arrive for major protest action
Near Tallinn, the tractors congregated near and on the Jüri ring road.
Farmers are gathering with tractors across several regions of Estonia, including Tallinn, Tartu, Pärnu, Rakvere, Viljandi, Jõhvi, Jõgeva, Kuressaare, Räpina, Valga and Võru. Near Tallinn, tractors assembled on the Tallinn ring road near Jüri. Regional Affairs and Agriculture Minister Hendrik Johannes Terras (Eesti 200) also joined the farmers, along with politicians from the Center Party.
According to the organizers, the action is meant to signal the importance of Estonian agriculture and the need to ensure equal competitive conditions for Estonian producers within the European Union.
"The concern is serious. When people come to the capital with tractors alongside their main work, it is certainly necessary to listen to what they have to say," Terras said ahead of the demonstration.
The protest comes at a time when the European Union is discussing priorities for the next budget period and when the income gap in European agriculture has become increasingly prominent. In the context of the protest, particular attention has been given to €546 million in support allocated by the European Commission, which is intended to reduce this disparity. However, demonstrators say there is no certainty that this funding will reach Estonia's agricultural sector.
The government will decide how the support is distributed, meaning Minister Terras will also be involved in that decision. He did not see any contradiction in participating in what could be viewed as a protest against the government.
The tractors will move slowly on ring roads or nearby areas for a limited time, between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. The organizers stress that traffic will not be blocked and that public transport and emergency vehicles will not be hindered.
--
Editor: Marcus Turovski, Mirjam Mäekivi
