Police cars block Portuguese farmers with their tractors near the A6 highway between Portugal and Spain in Elvas, Portugal, February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
CAIA, Portugal (Reuters) - Portuguese farmers used tractors to block at least three roads linking Portugal to Spain on Thursday, joining Europe-wide protests over a range of grievances, from cheaper imports to insufficient state aid and bureaucracy.
The government on Wednesday announced emergency aid worth 500 million euros for farmers to try to avoid the kind of mass protests causing disruption in France and Brussels, but a small group of farmers, feeling under-represented in public discussion on the issue, contacted each other on social media and decided to take action.
