In case you’ve forgotten, the protests in Europe are still happening.
The image for the headline was taken just seconds after the police sprayed the camera man with some chemical. Mace?
After weeks and weeks of protests from the farmers, it seems the Establishment has decided to make a move, unleashing the police.
While the police have been present before at these protests in Poland, this time they’ve apparently received authority to start fighting back and crack down on the crowd.
Polish police fires tear gas at peaceful farmers protest in Warsaw, Poland.
This is what happens when you elect EU puppet to lead your country. pic.twitter.com/zrc8WQ8rbl
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) March 6, 2024
Reuters reports:
WARSAW (Reuters) -Protesting farmers clashed with police outside the parliament building in Warsaw on Wednesday, with police using pepper spray and accusing some participants of violence against security forces.
Thousands of farmers had gathered in the Polish capital, burning tyres and throwing firecrackers as they demanded a halt to cheap imports and environmental regulations they say harm their livelihoods.
“Due to physical aggression against police officers by some of the people protesting … it was necessary to use direct coercive measures,” Warsaw police wrote in a post on X.
“Behaviour that threatens the safety of our officers, including throwing cobblestones at them, cannot be taken lightly and requires a firm and decisive response.”
They added that several officers were wounded and around a dozen people detained.
A Reuters witness saw police pepper spraying a demonstrator holding a Polish flag and another hurling an object at police shortly after.
Local media footage showed several protesters forcing their way onto parliamentary grounds before being subdued by police.
Earlier on Wednesday some of the protesters carried and then burned a coffin bearing a sign that read “farmer, lived 20 years, killed by the Green Deal” as they thronged the street in front of the prime minister’s office, blowing horns and holding Polish flags aloft before marching on parliament.
Farmers across the European Union have been calling for changes to restrictions placed on them by the bloc’s Green Deal plan to tackle climate change, and for customs duties on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine that were waived after Russia’s invasion to be reimposed.
In Poland, this has created a delicate balancing act for Donald Tusk’s government in a year where it faces both local and European elections, as it seeks to address farmers’ concerns while also maintaining its staunch support for Kyiv.
The Swedish journalist Peter Sweden has video from the location:
UNREAL
The Polish police are now beating up the protesting farmers.
SHARE – The mainstream media won't show you this police violence 👇pic.twitter.com/3teu1pDEOU
— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) March 6, 2024
UNBELIEVABLE
Polish police are violently attacking and beating peaceful farmers protesting against the Green Deal.
SHARE 👇pic.twitter.com/5N1gfKpyqK
— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) March 6, 2024
Those police look rather upset.
I wonder how upset they would be if they go the market and there’s no more food?
Will they reflect back to these moments?
Polish police were brutally attacking farmers protesting against unfair climate policies.
Why isn't this all over the news? pic.twitter.com/XZmsJTgPMb
— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) March 6, 2024
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