Pro-Russian forces hijacked a farmers’ protest that saw some 500 tractors roll into Prague on Monday morning, as speeches criticising the EU and the Czech government prompted many farmers to leave.
The protest was not supported by the main Czech farming organisations – the Czech Chamber of Agriculture, the Agricultural Association and the Association of Private Farmers refused to participate.
It was initially organised by Bohumír Dufek, president of the Union of Agricultural and Food Workers and the Association of Free Trade Unions, and agricultural businessman Zdeněk Jandejsek.
“Today’s demonstration has little to do with the struggle for better conditions for farmers. The demonstration is being organised by people who make no secret of their support for the Kremlin, for example, and are pursuing goals other than the interests of farmers,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS, ECR) wrote on X.
The event was massively attended by representatives of the Czech pro-Russian and disinformation scene – such as Jindřich Rajchl, leader of the Czech political party PRO – and their supporters. These people also took the floor and made speeches critical of the EU and the Czech government, which many of the farmers present rejected.
“If we look at the group of people here shouting anti-government slogans and calling everyone names, that’s not what we wanted. We wanted a peaceful protest and to show that our protest is tractors on the highway and farmers, but we are in the minority here today,” Miloš Malý, coordinator of farmers joining the protests, told Czech media.
The protest was “stolen” from farmers, he added.
Some pro-EU and pro-Ukraine supporters also attended the meeting and were physically attacked by the demonstrators, who also made death threats. The situation had to be resolved by riot police.
“Unfortunately, in the eyes of the public, some of the demonstrators are harming the farmers themselves. I understand that most of them left after midday and distanced themselves from the rest of the protests. This has nothing to do with agriculture,” Czech Agricultural Minister Marek Výborný (KDU-ČSL, EPP) wrote on X.
Official protests – this time backed by leading farming organisations and joined by other European countries – will take place on Thursday.
(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz)
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