Tractors take over Gran Vía again two years after the major farmers' protest

BarcelonaSeveral columns of tractors set off this Friday morning from various points in Catalonia towards Barcelona. They arrived in the Catalan capital at midday and, since early afternoon, have been blocking Barcelona's Gran Via, where traffic is blocked from Plaça Universitat almost to Passeig de Gràcia. Many farmers arrived with their tractors and left them in the central lane, while others traveled in their own cars and parked in front of the Coliseum cinema, on the side opposite the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture.

The mobilization coincides with the second anniversary of the major protest in February 2014, when farmers brought the Catalan capital and many other roads in Catalonia to a standstill with their tractors. This time, aware of the mobility problems caused by the chaos on the commuter rail network and the closure of the AP-7 motorway, they have not blocked any roads or highways, and in Barcelona, ​​the traffic disruption is limited to the Gran Via.

Once settled in (even with portable toilets), the farmers cooked rice. They intend to camp out and spend the afternoon and night on the Gran Via, where they will hold various activities and workshops. The protest is to keep their demands alive, as they believe that since the major mobilization of 2024, no progress has been made and, in fact, the problems have worsened with the various health crises affecting the sector, such as avian flu, contagious nodular dermatosis, and African swine fever.

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food, Òscar Ordeig, assured the farmers that there would be "results," but warned that "we have to work together" and that everything won't change "in three days." "Not everything depends on the Generalitat (Catalan government), and we won't move forward if everyone is just looking out for themselves." Ordeig declared: "As far as it depends on us, we will attend all of them, and what we must convey to Brussels, we must go there." Furthermore, he emphasized in statements to Catalunya Ràdio that they must go "with concrete proposals in hand."

Rallies across the country

Farmers gathered early this morning in columns that departed from Bages, Berguedà, Osona, Girona, Vallès, Amposta, Móra d'Ebre, Tarragona, and Molins de Rei. Revolta Pagesa, the movement that emerged from the protests two years ago, organized nine columns, some using cars instead of tractors. The group says it wants to highlight the "key factor" that farming and livestock represent, and also plans to provide an update on the negotiations with the government. "The government must honor its commitments," they warn. The protest is expected to continue throughout the day and night in front of the Department of Agriculture, and on Saturday they have scheduled "protest and informational actions" until 2:30 p.m. Farmers want to recreate the scene from February 2024, when more than 2,000 tractors from across Catalonia marched slowly to Barcelona to protest the dire situation facing the sector. During several days of demonstrations, they blocked roads, some even at the border, to demand government policy changes.