Protesting farmers clash with police in Warsaw
Protesting farmers have clashed with police in the Polish capital Warsaw after starting a number of fires in front of the prime minister’s office.
Demonstrators began to gather outside Donald Tusk's office at 11am on Wednesday to protest against Ukrainian imports which they say undercut their businesses and harm domestic markets.
They then set fire to tires and a coffin labelled 'farmer killed by the Green Deal’ in reference to the EU's package of environmental policies.
Other farmers were seen burning EU flags.
According to Polsat TV, just before 11am one of the demonstrators attempted to throw the burning coffin over police barriers which led to a "scuffle" with officers.
Speaking to the protestors, the head of the Solidarity Union, Piotr Duda, said that the EU's climate-neutral Green Deal should be thrown into the trash.
He said: "We are united by one common demand. Down with the Green Deal, down with the Green Scam, down with the Green Venom that is destroying our economy."
He added that some farmers who had driven to the capital with tractors had been stopped on the outskirts of the city.
"This is the rule of law according to Donald Tusk," Duda said.
Warsaw regulations do not allow tractors in the city.
The organisers expect today's protests to be even bigger than a massive demonstration held on February 27, when around 10,000 farmers came to the Polish capital. No official figures had been released by early afternoon on Wednesday.
The protest is planned to continue until Friday. (PAP
ew/jd
