500 Catalan farmers join Madrid protest
Farmers' Union accuses Spanish authorities of obstructing non-violent march
Around 500 farmers from Catalonia traveled to Madrid on Wednesday to take part in the latest day of protests to raise awareness of the difficulties facing the agriculture sector.
"The protest movement that has begun must not stop until there are real answers," the national coordinator of the Catalonia's Farmers' Union (Unió de Pagesos), Joan Caball, told the media before the start of the march.
The protest, supported by organizations from all over Spain, aimed to bring 500 tractors into the Spanish capital.
"No demonstration by farmers has involved violence, Caball said, in reference to statements by the Spanish government that they hoped the protest would be peaceful.
"We are people who want to work and live with dignity," he added.
Tension
There was some tension between protesters and police during the march, but Caball said that demonstrations by farmers have always been calm.
"It seems that the powers of the state are in action and want to hinder the right to demonstrate, but people here only want to express their rejection of policies and ask for solutions to live with dignity. We would all like to be at home on our tractor doing the work that has to be done," he added.
The Spanish government delegation in Madrid confirmed that 500 tractors were allowed to enter the capital, the figure provided by organizers when communicating information about the demonstration.
"Around 150 tractors were not allowed," as they "exceeded the communicated and authorized figure."
Some farmers blocked a motorway for a time until being moved on by police.
Protests
The Madrid protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations, with more planned for next week.
Farmers targeted key distribution and logistics points all over Catalonia with protests last week, blocking highways for 30 hours near Girona in the north.
On February 7, a go-slow tractor march involving more than 2,000 vehicles brought Barcelona to a standstill.
Farmers' demands include less red tape, addressing "unfair competition" from imports from non-EU countries, and ending violations of the food chain law.