Farmers make a stand against petrol costs

IT is now the farmers and their tractors who are taking the turn to hold a demonstration about the high prices of petrol in the Balearic Islands.
The ASAJA Balearic farming association is holding a demonstration next Saturday (12 November) in the centre of Vilafranca in protest of the high cost of petrol, a staple requirement for their daily business. This will mean that roads will be closed with possible road delays, although the organisation has said that they would advise of the times and roads in advance. The protest will take place in front of the El Cruce bar/restaurant in Vilafranca where more than 100 tractors will arrive from all over the island, said Biel Company, President of the Balearic Association. Company said that the organisation decided to hold this demonstration in the countryside and on a Saturday so as to inconvenience residents “as little as possible”. Residents were hit recently by the ferry blockade, which the fishermen organised to ask the government for more fuel grants.
However, this new stand against the politicians shows that the farmers “are there” and can “kick up a row” if required in order to get their demands heard, thinks Company. In order to pressure the central government as much as possible and to also not molest residents, the farmers have decided to head towards Palma in order to protest in front of the government building, confirmed the Leader of ASAJA. As a first for the Balearic Islands, the ASAJA group, who met this week, have agreed to organise road closures, which will done at specific dates and times.