'Spectacular' demonstration promised

Thursday, January 3, 2013

The agenda for the November "1,000 tractors to Brussels" protest, published in advance by the Agricultural and Rural Convention, promised a demonstration "with spectacular protests." The organizers weren't kidding. According to published reports, windows up to seven floors high at the European Parliament were sprayed with milk from fire hoses. Policemen in riot gear on the ground took the brunt, of course.

The milk spilling was part of a two-day protest against low milk prices. Producers want supply management systems with "voluntary supply constraint" (similar to the program in Canada, maybe?) rather than an end to the quota systems that has been promised (or threatened, depending upon your point of view) as the Common Agricultural Policy is reformed. The European Milk Board, claiming to represent 100,000 farmers in 11 countries, says 157,000 dairy farms have shut down since 2009, when the last dairy changes were made. BF