The Farmers Defence Force, a new farmers' advocacy organisation based on the Dutch organisation of the same name, is planning a 'farmers protest' at Spoor Oost in Antwerp on Friday.
The Dutch Farmers Defence Force is a powerful organisation in the Netherlands, regularly leading mass protests and shutting down major city road infrastructure. The affiliated farmers interest party BoerBurgerBeweging is now the largest party in the Dutch senate and is an important source of opposition in the Netherlands.
The Belgian farmers will host several speakers to discuss Flanders' controversial nitrogen policy, among others, and are calling for masses to descend on Antwerp, by tractor or otherwise. The Belgian Farmers Defence Force has grown in prominence in recent months, recruiting new members.
Farmers decry new EU climate policies, which they say severely impede their ability to farm and raise animals. In March, 2,000 tractors occupied Brussels to denounce the Flemish Government's nitrogen policy.
