Catalan farmers do not give up and continue their mobilizations on the main roads of Catalonia. After starting on Tuesday some cuts that affect the AP-7, the AP-2, the A-2, the C-28 and other roads, they have decided to extend their actions until Thursday, given the disappointment due to the absence of the Minister of Acció Climàtica, David Mascort, in the meeting they held with his department. The first to announce the extension of the protests were those blocking the AP-7 in Pontós, who were joined by those in Ripollès, which cut off the Coll d’Ares, and those in Ponent, which affect the A-2 and the AP-2 in Soses. Unió de Pagesos recalled that this Wednesday the mobilizations will continue at the border crossings, with the support of the French union Confédération Paysanne in some points.
Citizen support for the demands of the countryside
The farmers’ protests have the majority support of the Spanish population, according to a survey by the Gabinet d’Estudis Socials i Opinió Pública (GESOP) for El Periódico. 83% of those surveyed support the demonstrations in the agricultural sector, while only 10.8% give them little support and 3.5% none. Farmers demand fair conditions for their work, which is threatened by unfair competition from imports that do not meet the same requirements as those demanded in the European Union, as well as by excessive bureaucracy and lack of aid.
Traffic incidents due to road closures
The roadblocks carried out by farmers are causing significant delays on the affected roads. On the A-2, in Soses, more than 7 kilometers of queues have formed in both directions of traffic. Trànsit has released aerial images of the blockade due to the demonstration.
⚫ Aerial images of the blockade for #manifestation on the A-2 in Soses in both directions pic.twitter.com/5l3vb4Cmz0— Transit (@transit) February 28, 2024
In Girona, farmers maintain the cuts on the AP-7, from Borrassà to Vilademuls, and on the N-II, from Bàscara to Vilamalla. They also affect the N-152, in Puigcerdà. In Lleida, the cuts occur on the AP-2, from Aitona to Albatàrrec, on the A-2, in Soses and Tàrrega, on the A-22 and the N-240, in Almacelles, on the N-230, in Alfarràs and in the section from Les Bordes to Pont de Suert, on the C-14, in Bassella, and on the LL-12, in Albatàrrec.
Civil Protection has activated the Procicat Plan Alert due to traffic incidents caused by farmers’ mobilizations in the Lleida and Girona districts. The Mossos d’Esquadra have reported that they continue working on road closures and have recommended minimizing travel.
Disappointment by the absence of Councilor Mascort
One of the reasons that has led the farmers to extend their protests has been the lack of response from the Climate Action Minister, David Mascort, who did not attend the meeting they held on Tuesday with his department. The councilor alleged “family problems” to justify his absence, but assured that his commitment and involvement with the agrarian platform “is firm” and that he shares the objective that those who work the land can live with dignity.
We move forward with the agrarian platform with a common objective: that the people who work our land can earn a decent living.— David Mascort (@dmascort) February 27, 2024
Today I could not be at the meeting for family reasons, but the DACC management team was present, as always. (1/2)
However, representatives of the Revolta Pagesa platform and the Unió de Pagesos union were not satisfied with the meeting and warned that the protest, which in principle was to end this Wednesday, would be extended for another day. One of the spokespersons, Arnau Capdevila, criticized that the head of Acció Climàtica left them alone and did not attend the meeting. Given this, in the assembly held in the Tàrrega court, it was considered asking for his resignation.
����About 1,200 tractors, at the border crossings of Girona, Segrià de Lleida and Montaña in protest against unfair import competition. Tomorrow, new cuts with the French union @ConfPaysanne and tractors in the Plana de Lleida until Thursday����https://t.co/i6LpE7UaVI pic.twitter.com/WLyToLeEJK— Unió de Pagesos (@uniopagesos) February 27 , 2024