Politicians, including Grzegorz Brown, one of the leaders of the anti-Ukrainian Confederation party, and Karol Navrotsky, a presidential candidate supported by the opposition Law and Justice party, were seen at the farmers' protest in Warsaw. UNN reports with reference to Radio Liberty.
A farmers' protest is reported to be ongoing in Warsaw, with several thousand people gathering near the European Commission's office on January 3. The farmers traditionally made noise with special pipes, chanted "Down with the Green Deal" (referring to the tightening of environmental requirements for agricultural production) and "Poland for Poles".
The protesters have five demands. The most important ones concern the free trade agreement between the EU and the countries of the Mercosur South American Economic Union, the Green Deal, and the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to Poland.
"Last year we protested and this year we continue to protest, because nothing has changed, nothing has been resolved. Quite the contrary. We are reaching an agreement with the Mercosur countries that will lead to the decline of EU farming," says Tomasz Obrzanski, one of the leaders of the farmers' protest.
At the farmers' protest, a Radio Liberty correspondent spotted politicians, including Grzegorz Brown, one of the leaders of the anti-Ukrainian Confederation party, and presidential candidate Karol Navrotsky, who is supported by the Law and Justice party.
It is reported that while they were giving interviews and taking pictures with supporters, shouts of "Karol is the next president of Poland" were heard from the crowd.
From the European Commission office, the farmers went to the opera house. The place is no accident: at 20:00 local time (21:00 Kyiv time), the opening ceremony of the Polish presidency of the EU will begin. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President of the European Council Antonio Costa will be there, among others. So farmers hope to hear from them some response to their demands.
Farmers' protests are often accompanied by public order violations, clashes with the police, and last year they spilled manure near the government building. The city is heavily patrolled by police to avoid provocations.
Addendum
Earlier it was reportedthat on Friday, January 3, a large protest of farmers, organized under the auspices of the Association of Agrarian Organizations, would take place in Warsaw.
UNN wrote that Ukraine has become a hostage to internal political discussions in Poland, where Ukrainian products are used as a tool in disputes.
The last time Polish farmers blocked the border was on November 23, due to Poland's internal political problems.