Czech farmers block traffic in Prague against EU policies

Prague: Czech farmers blocked traffic in Prague on Thursday, cramming the streets with hundreds of tractors and other vehicles as they rallied against the government and agriculture policies set by the European Union.

Public transport came to a standstill during the morning rush hour in several parts of the Czech capital. The street leading to the government office where the protesters planned to present their demands was completely blocked.

“Our goal is not to block the traffic in Prague, our goal is to present the problems in agriculture,” said Martin Pycha, the head of the Czech Agricultural Association, one of the organizers of the protest. He apologised for the inconvenience caused to Prague commuters.

A similar protest with farmers driving their tractors was held in Prague a month ago. Tens of thousands of farmers and their supporters have rallied across Europe in recent weeks to voice their frustration over a range of issues, from insufficiently regulated cheap imports to overbearing environmental rules

and red tape.