Polish farmers blocked over 150 roads across Poland on Wednesday. This way they protested against the proposed animal rights protection law, known as "five for animals", as well as against appointing Grzegorz Puda as the new agriculture minister.
"We've organised over 150 roadblocks across the country. It all began here in Wróblew, with our meetings. That's why today people had the courage to go out there" - leader of AGROunia Michał Kołodziejczak said.
"Today's protest will be peaceful, but you should know that we're ready for anything" - he said.
The protests took various forms. Mostly, the farmers simply drove tractors in motorcades. In some places, they blocked roads completely by either standing across them, driving around roundabouts, or walking back and forth on crosswalks.
In Goniczki (Greater Poland), the protesting farmers scattered straw and manure on the road.
This was yet another protest by AGROunia against the proposed legislation. The previous week, the farmers placed 356 cabbage in front of the Sejm, attaching tags to each one with names of Polish MPs who had backed the bill. The cabbages were to symbolise "empty heads" of the lawmakers.
The soon-to-become law proposal includes banning fur farming and introducing restrictions on ritual slaughter. According to AGROunia, the legislation would cause significant economic losses and divide the society. The bill is to be debated by the opposition-controlled upper house, the Senate, on October 13.
The proposed law also stipulates that ritual slaughter would only be allowed for the needs of local religious organisations. It would be up to the ministers of agriculture and interior affairs to determine the conditions under which ritual slaughter would be performed, including necessary qualifications for those who would perform it. Moreover, the state budget is to compensate entities that would suffer losses due to new restrictions.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP