The arrival of the large-displacement vehicles, coming from Empordà, Bages, Osona, Alt Penedès, and Baix Llobregat, forced the closure of a central section of the Gran Vía, causing traffic problems. Despite the initial shock, Barcelona residents showed sympathy for the mobilization, with banners proclaiming “Our end, your hunger” and “Don't play with food”.
The protest, called by the Gremi de la Pagesia (Farmers' Guild) union, is scheduled to last until Saturday. Farmers parked their tractors in front of the Ministry of Agriculture headquarters. Josep Arrufat, a farmer from Rocafort de Vallbona (Urgell), recalled that he camped in the same spot more than 20 years ago to defend the agricultural sector.
“"It was necessary to come to Barcelona. First, to demonstrate that the demands we brought two years ago are still alive. And, second, to ask for the support of the urban world for the consumption of local food and our productions."
The agricultural sector's demands remain similar to those of the major tractor protest on February 6, 2024: administrative overload, generational replacement issues, insufficient aid against plagues, and an unsatisfactory Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Added to these points is now the rejection of the trade agreement signed between the European Union and Mercosur.
The mobilization also includes an educational objective. A market will be organized to sell fresh vegetables at the Jardins d’Emma (Germanetes) on Saturday morning, and a workshop will be held to teach interested parties how to prepare and cultivate their own gardens, aiming for people to “know what they are eating”.
