The problem with protests is that they simply don't work. Farmers are not considered important. Even all the french protests haven't actually achieved anything. The strategy is simple for any government, ignore them and they will give up
Wrong on all counts.
Local marts are paying for the buses around here. Think the ifa have taken some stick from members for not getting involved more.
No doubt they will make an effort to be there for the photos anyhow, and Gorman will say a few words.
Ifa staff will be at the event to help run it, and have been actively promoting it to members over the last couple of weeks. There is a map that has been posted earlier in this thread, to help people at the protest. It was created by the ifa.
What else would you have them do?
The ifa and all the other farm orgs should have been the ones to orgamise the protest they all represent farmers it shows how useless they all are.There all getting involved now to take the bad look from whats happened.If it wasnt for kieran ex rte and michael fitz thered be no protest today.
Protests do work look at water charges it worked theres alot of anger out there not just on merscour if theres a big crowd in athlone gov will take notice it is nice to see all farm orgs together eventually which is the way it should always have been.
What's the weather like in Athlone? Freezing fog here
Common sense would tell you protests don't work, yet the whinge out there at the moment is that IFA didn't arrange a protest.
I guarantee you that there is a huge number of IFA officers meeting politicians over this and not getting their pictures in papers. yet the whinge is that they don't do anything unless they bring a photographer along.
Not great whelan im nearly there be carefull everyone after you leave the main roads
Well the water protests worked didnt they.Werent the ifa protesting about derogation it worked.You can guarantee all the farm orgs will be here today getting there pictures taken.
everyone keep an eye out for the big shiny fendt …..nearly more interested to see if the lad behind the wheel is real at all than the protest 😁
Were the water protests consisting of just farmers? That is the difference. The average person has no interest in the Mercosur deal
Did the derogation protest work why was there a derogation protest and not a merscour protest if the averagebperson is eating hormine laced beef im sure theyd be intrested
Doubt your going arent you still milking and diet feeding how wud u have time.
I am on both counts and just started calving too….i just want to see if you and your fendt are real
A lot of shiny new tractors passing here today, none less than 200hp.
A good few going on the Motorway, its like a tractor run, young lads/ lassies on the phones with the girlfriends/boyfriends up beside them
That's all what it is to some. Willy waving
Well at least there doing something any young lad outbtoday is he better in athlone than in a pub somewhere great to see .Its a fairv spin for a lot 8ncludong myself alot ofvtractors are borrowed from neighbour contractors i couldvhave brought myb5455 but ive more comfort in my fendt great time of year for the protest too lads nextvweek busy at slurry then cows calving.Alot of sound people here been talking to a few lads like meself.
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Oh yeah, the tractors are shining, fair dues to them
Birds of a feather flock together and all that! Why didn't you bring the Fiat?
For feck sake, daiymann go away and enjoy the day and good on you for attending but give up a break about the fendt
Wrangler, stop being so negative, are you going to support them? It's 20 years since a protest. Young farmers have since lost, installation aid, early retirement schemes, reps payments have reduced by half ect.
Congratulations to independent ireland 👏
For organising this.
This your yolk? Big turn out going by social media, 👍🏻
Dont know big deal about the fendt there not much dearer than a normal tractor.
No not mine
Thoroughly agree. French farmers are making a total arse of themselves right now. What started as a protest about slaughtering whole herds because of LSD, morphed into protest about compensation when the science was explained to them. Now it’s morphed (again) about Mercursor..even though the deal has been done and dusted with over à year. It takes a special kind of thick to protest a deal thats already done, and was 25yrs in the making. Like, WTF! Unfortunately the CR, whilst starting out with the best intentions, has now been taken over by those extreme right morons. They are the very same as the extreme right, racist, white supremacist thicks that voted in Trump/Maga. It’s almost guaranteed that France will swing to Le Pen/Bardella (extreme right) at the next elections due to farmer fcuktards that think they’re better than everyone else.
Rant over.
calling them far right is a bit harsh, they are just standing up for themselves, the lads who broke the barriers in brussels were my heros this xmas, french farmers got it signed into law mercour must meet same pesticide standards as themselves
local caredoc (out of hours doctors and nurses services in ireland) went on strike over xmas week, put up a message for any medical requirements to ring the 999/112 number all over xmas week…..they knew staff at 999/112 couldnt cope with calls and that it would impact actual life threatening calls…..are doctors n nurses far right due to negotiation tactics!!! …..government body caved in…..farmers do need to learn how others negotiate
People are forever giving out that young people are walking away from farming,but when young people show an interest you have people giving out. They can't win. Its great to see any young person attending Athlone today. They are the future
Yeah lots of young here great to see real well mannered too no messing or causeing trouble.
Unfortunately you’re being naive.
This was discussed ad nauseum in France à couple of years back, before the deal was signed.
Certification. When MB/BMW etc certify that their cars are Euro (x) emissions with a certain level of safety, that is taken as Gospel in S. America. Likewise, when a S.American vet says that meat is free of xyz, then thats also accepted as Gospel in Europe. Ditto, à S.American agronomist can certify that your regular gmo soya is organic and was milled between the thighs of vestal virgins..and it has to be accepted in Europe. That is the Mercursor agreement!
The Michel Barnier (French) government were nailed on to veto Mercursor because of certification and total lack of phytosanitary regulation. Barnier insisted that agri produce be left out of the deal. Only France and Poland took that stance. Every other EU country were all for Mercursor. However the Barnier government fell on the 4/12/24. The EU Trade Commission flew to S. America on the 5/12/24. The deal was signed on the 6/12/24. Anyone that went against Mercursor after signing is only grandstanding to voters/farmers.
I’m calling out the French farmers union named Confederation Rural as being extreme right wing, not any Irish farmers union.
