IN PICTURES: Hundreds of farmers with tractors flood Prague center

Hundreds of protesting farmers descended Monday en masse onto Prague in a demonstration against the Czech government’s and EU's agricultural policies. Between 600 and 1,000 tractors assembled outside the Ministry of Agriculture in Prague 1 around 5:30 a.m., blocking traffic on the busy Wilsonova Street. 

Some protestors moved to Malostranské náměstí in the afternoon, whereas others left Prague.

Organized by the Association of Independent Trade Unions and Agricultural and Food Workers Trade Union, the demonstration disrupted traffic in both directions by protestors halting their vehicles outside Prague’s main station Hlavní nádraží and the National Museum.

The demonstrators arrived at Malostranské náměstí in Prague around 1 p.m. to hold a protest between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. On their way, protesters stopped at the Government Office at Malá Strana to voice their anger at the government’s approach to agriculture.

Police said this afternoon that over 200 of the protesters began to make their way home as of 3 p.m.

The farmers also handed over a collective letter outlining their demands to the Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný. Their main grievances are rising production costs, higher taxes, excessive environmental rules (with particular annoyance at the EU’s Green Deal), more bureaucracy, and the recent emergence of cheap imports. 

The farmers call for the Czech government to withdraw from the EU's Green Deal and demand action from Výborný to halt cheap imports and increase farmers’ subsidies.

According to protest organizers, the profit of agricultural companies in Czechia crashed to CZK 8.7 billion last year, from CZK 22 billion in 2023. In 2024, the agricultural industry will receive CZK 800 million less in subsidies. 

One farmer told a journalist: "This event is meant to support the Czech public, to make the government aware that we are actually slaves of the EU now."

Farmers’ protests have become an EU-wide trend in recent months, with demonstrations particularly intensifying in France, Spain, Germany, and Poland.

Miloš Malý, one of the protest co-organizers, expressed to journalists his discontent that parts of the demonstration this afternoon were “hijacked” by solely anti-government protestors who were sympathetic to Russia; they used the protest as a means to drive forward their agenda.

Authorities say that some scuffles and fighting broke out amongst a group of about 10 people at Malostranské náměstí after 3 p.m. – ostensibly due to the sightings of Ukrainian flags. A small counterprotest took place at the location. Malý was frustrated by this, he says, because the attending farmers wanted a peaceful protest.

Marek Výborný has said he prefers negotiations over protests, stating that the organizers do not represent the views of Czech farmers.

In a similar vein, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala denounced the protests, stating they have little in common with fighting for farmers' conditions. He added that the organizers of the protests support Russia. Fiala also stated that major agricultural organizations in Czechia have distanced themselves from the demonstrations – he is happy to continue talks with the Czech Agrarian Chamber, which did not endorse the protest.

Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Bartoš said that some of the protestors were misusing the demonstration for their own “power games.”

Jana Krutáková, a lower house agriculture committee member, said she understands the demonstrators' demands to reduce bureaucracy. “It is not always possible to accommodate everyone [the farmers]. We have to look for a compromise," she added. Krutáková said that talks would continue with the protesting parties.