Over 2,000 protesters turned up to the EU Commission offices on Lower Mount Street on Monday 31 August, asking for immediate action to be taken to resolve the income crisis facing farming, and especially the grain, dairy and pig sectors. IFA president Eddie Downey called on the EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan to move to implement EU measures to underpin the viability of farm families.
Eddie Downey warned that farmers across a range of enterprises are under severe pressure as political interference in markets, price volatility and unregulated retailers combine to decimate farm incomes and undermine the sector. The protest is a prelude to the larger protest organised by European farmer representative bodies COPA and COGECA to be held at the Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting in Brussels on 7 September.
Our reporters have been tweeting pictures and videos from the protest, some of which we have collated below.
IFA protest begins at EU Commission offices on Lower Mount Street pic.twitter.com/qfCZaAJrg6
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) August 31, 2015
Farmers gathering on Mount St ahead of protest outside EU Commission offices pic.twitter.com/Uqmi1MrhN7
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) August 31, 2015
Watch: IFA President Eddie Downey pours a couple of hundred kilos of grain onto Lower Mount Street at a protest outside the EU Commission offices in Dublin
Farmers gathering on Mount St ahead of protest outside EU Commission offices pic.twitter.com/B3EW9gPVyN
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) August 31, 2015
Large crowds gathered on Mount St in Dublin ahead of farmer protest outside of EU Commission pic.twitter.com/uZ9nCRor0A
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) August 31, 2015
Paps at the @IFAmedia protest in Dublin. pic.twitter.com/n86r6ZE8jo
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) August 31, 2015
Protest arrives at EU Commission offices pic.twitter.com/tgQxppIEO2
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) August 31, 2015
Protest advancing up Mount St towards EU Commission offices pic.twitter.com/Fpq1u3wz3a
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) August 31, 2015
Farmer protest on the move pic.twitter.com/5KZqzoav4Y
— Farmers Journal (@farmersjournal) August 31, 2015
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