The climate activist group Code Red, renowned for previous actions against TotalEnergies and the Port of Antwerp, has announced a "mass action of civil disobedience against agribusiness" between Friday 28 February and Sunday 2 March.
Code Red describes itself as "a movement for civil disobedience that fights for a socio-ecologically just future." It is known for blocking strategic locations of companies with which it disagrees, and has now more actions. After targeting the energy, aviation and shipping industries, the group of climate activists now has its sights set on agribusiness this weekend, taking action against the pressure that large companies in the food chain exert on farmers.
"Competition feeds corporations. Farmers feed people. It is time for action," the group wrote on its website. "Agribusiness makes huge profits while killing farmers, ecosystems and people. We call for food sovereignty so that farmers and citizens regain power over food."
According to Code Red, the current industrial agricultural model leads to the exhaustion of both farmers and the country's soil. By organising actions, the group not only wants to protest this but also to start a dialogue about a more sustainable and fairer agricultural system.
Police measures
The next action will take place sometime between 28 February and 2 March. However, the climate activists tend to keep the time and location a secret until the last moment. It is therefore not clear exactly what the climate rebels are planning. The announcement of their action via their website and social media channels has already caused concern among the police, Het Laatste Nieuws reported.
As a precaution, a temporary police ordinance prohibiting unorganised demonstrations has been issued in the Zennevallei police zone (Halle, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw and Beersel, to the west of Brussels). It bans, among other things, group demonstrations and masked or costumed individuals on public roads.
A previous Code Red action. Credit: Belga
"Demonstrating is a right, but unorganised demonstrations often involve individuals with bad intentions," said Jo Vander Meylen, mayor of Beersel, during the municipal council meeting on Thursday evening. "We have no concrete indications that Code Red will take action in our region, but as a precaution, we are introducing this temporary police ordinance."
Preventive measures being taken here can be explained by the fact that supermarket chain Coluryt's headquarters are located in Halle. Farmers have previously protested against the group by blocking their shops or distribution centres. Code Red also repeatedly referred to Colruyt in their statement against agribusiness.
Code Red also confirmed it is organising a demonstration in Brussels on Sunday morning against the "anti-social and anti-ecological measures" of the De Wever government.
