Several thousand demonstrators have protested in The Hague against the government's planned environmental requirements for agriculture. With flags, balloons and banners, many farmers had moved into the Zuiderpark on Saturday. "No farmers, no food" or "Proud of the farmers" were written on the banners. The radical farmers' organisation "Farmers Defence Force" had called for the "largest demonstration of all time", right-wing organisations and populist politicians had also mobilised their supporters.

Only a few kilometers as the crow flies from the farmers' demonstration, however, around 3000 climate protectors of the action group "Extinction Rebellion" demonstrated for much stricter measures in climate and environmental protection. For a short time they occupied a motorway feeder road, chained themselves and stuck to the asphalt. The police cleared the street.

The protests took place four days before Wednesday's provincial elections. Then decisions are made not only on the parliaments of the provinces, but also indirectly on the composition of the First Chamber of the National Parliament (comparable to the Federal Council). According to the polls, a sharp shift to the right is expected. The coalition is predicted to suffer heavy losses.

The farmers' rally was not just about environmental regulations. Right-wing parties called for resistance against the government. The right-wing populist Geert Wilders called for the coalition to be "voted out" on Wednesday.

Despite the ban, dozens of farmers had set off early in the morning with tractors. They were stopped by the police, because for fear of riots, the city had banned tractors and blocked access roads and important intersections with military trucks. At the demonstration site, however, an excavator broke through the blockade, and several trucks were able to drive onto the square despite the ban. One person was arrested.

The authorities were very concerned about violence after farmers protested for weeks last year, including violence.

Rutte wants to reduce nitrogen

The reason for the farmers' protests are the announced requirements for the protection of natural areas. The centre-right coalition of Prime Minister Mark Rutte wants to drastically reduce nitrogen input by 2030. The trigger for this decision was a ruling by the highest court in 2019. The measures could spell the end for about 30 percent of livestock farms, the government estimates.

The owners of around 3000,<> farms, which emit the most nitrogen near threatened natural areas, are to be persuaded to sell or at least to drastically reduce livestock. But expropriations are not ruled out either. "We have no choice," said Christianne van der Wal, the minister responsible for nature and nitrogen. "Nature can't wait."

For years, far too much reactive nitrogen has been emitted into the air in the European protected Natura 2000 sites in the Netherlands. The main cause is intensive livestock farming, in which a lot of ammonia is produced. This has dramatic consequences for biodiversity. The soil becomes acidic, plants and trees die, they are overgrown by blackberries or nettles. Insects, birds and other animals disappear.

The agricultural sector is huge and one of the largest exporters in the world. Last year, the approximately 52,000 farms exported goods abroad worth 122 billion euros, almost a quarter of which went to Germany.

For years, environmental pollution was tolerated or legalized with exceptions, although limit values were exceeded. Again and again, loopholes were found in order not to restrict agricultural production. The government now admits that this was a mistake.

The 2019 ruling had major consequences: projects near natural areas where nitrogen is released may not be approved. This means that the construction of housing and roads is faltering, industry cannot expand, and even the energy transition is at risk. "The major restructuring of agriculture is inevitable," said Minister van der Wal.

The farmers, however, are demanding prospects for the future, and they feel abandoned by politics. They also question the necessity of the measures.