Czech farmers block traffic in Prague in protest against agriculture policies

Czech farmers blocked traffic in Prague on Thursday, cramming the streets with hundreds of tractors and other vehicles as they rallied against the government and agriculture policies set by the European Union.

Public transport came to a standstill during the morning rush hour in several parts of the Czech capital. The street leading to the government office where the protesters planned to present their demands was completely blocked.

"Our goal is not to block the traffic in Prague, our goal is to present the problems in agriculture," said Martin Pycha, the head of the Czech Agricultural Association, one of the organizers of the protest.

He apologized for the inconvenience caused to Prague commuters.

A similar protest with farmers driving their tractors was held in Prague a month ago.

Tens of thousands of farmers and their supporters have rallied across Europe in recent weeks to voice their frustration over a range of issues, from insufficiently regulated cheap imports to overbearing environmental rules and red tape.

The Czech farmers, specifically, demand the lower taxation of farmland ownership and want the subsidies they receive from the EU to be exempt from taxes. Farmers also complain about the low prices of their products and say grain and other agriculture products coming from Ukraine and other countries harm the market.

Some of the farmers held up banners on Thursday reading: "We want equal conditions," and "Stop the liquidation of Czech agriculture."

The government appeared eager to let the farmers have their say.

"I respect the right of anyone to protest and I'm ready for a fair discussion with the farmers," Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny said.