Spain has become the latest European nation to witness violent protests as demonstrators hurled objects at riot police today in yet another display of farmers’ fury.
Footage from Puerto Algeciras in Cadiz showed around a dozen police officers dressed in riot gear march towards protesters.
Demostrators, who were waving Spanish and Cadiz flags, were recorded lobbing a number of items in the direction of the officers.
Local reports suggest tomatoes and cucumbers were among the objects hurled at officers.
Two subsequent police charges allegedly resulted in at least one person being injured.
As many as 1,500 farmers sought to disrupt the popular port amid concern about unfair competition posed for foreign imports.
Farmers targeted the port as last month the facility moved nine million tons of merchandise, making it one of Europe’s most-popular hub for foreign imports.
The protest was called by the agricultural associations Asaja, COAG, UPA and Cooperativas Agro-Alimentarias to the Port of Algeciras.
Demonstrators started by cutting off the A7 highway at the height of Venta Peña.
Miguel López, who serves as general secretary of COAG in Andalusia, said: “This is the continuation of this process of mobilisations that began at the European level.”
“The basic and fundamental issue is that the European agricultural sector is in crisis, agricultural policies are expelling us, they are conditioning us, they do not let us work and, in short, we are being burdened with this professional and social model that is the majority in the European Union.”
He added: “We must now put our foot on the wall because what we have at stake is the food of Europe and this is no joke.”
Protests have also been held in Madrid and Aragon as tensions flare up across Europe.
Discontent appears to have recently spread to the Iberian Peninsula after France, Germany and the Netherlands faced its own protests from just before Christmas.
Brussels-derived policies have been a cornerstone of the fury held by farmers.
The European Commission has hoped to quell unease by making a number of concessions but none of them appear to have pleased the agricultural industry.
Source Agencies
