From West Flanders to Antwerp to Limburg: farmers everywhere in the country are following the action that started on Thursday night in the Westhoek.
Diksmuide/Veurne/Ypres/Poperinge/Heuvelland/Mesen/Vleteren/Langemark-Poelkapelle/Alveringem/Houthulst/Kortemark/Zonnebeke/Oudenburg/Ledegem/Wervik/Kortrijk/Jabbeke/Zedelgem/Bruges/Meulebeke/Merksplas/Malle/Balen/Beerse/ Zuienkerke/Kinrooi/Ravels/Wuustwezel –
In recent nights, many farmers from all over Flanders followed the sign campaign of the anonymous protest movement Boerenhart Vlaanderen in the southern Westhoek. “If this has even the smallest effect, we would be happy to do our part.”
After a year, Boerenhart Flanders is back with a new promotion. The farmers tore down dozens of place name signs along approach roads in the southern Westhoek on Thursday night. “We hope to follow suit and turn the country upside down for a better future,” the activists said at the time. (Read more below the photo)
The action started last Thursday evening at the Flemish border near the Heuvelland district of Wijtschate. — © Thijs Pattyn
In the following nights, many farmers from other Flemish cities and municipalities changed hundreds of place name signs. “From the Westhoek to Kinrooi,” according to the farmers’ movement. “The entire Flemish countryside is letting us know that the pressure on agriculture and horticulture is too high. Give us a future! Or we ‘young farmers’ are the last generation of a beautiful Flemish agricultural and agro-business history.” (Read more below the photo)
In the Antwerp municipality of Malle, farmers followed the action in the Westhoek. — © if
A group of farmers met in a café on Saturday evening before doing ‘their rounds’ in the region of Kortemark, Diksmuide and Houthulst. “We turned over about 35 plates,” said one of the farmers on Sunday morning. “There are more fun things to do on a Saturday evening, but as young farmers we would especially like to continue practicing our craft. This action makes people talk about us. If this has even the smallest effect, we would be happy to do our part.” (Read more below the photo)
An upside-down sign in the Antwerp municipality of Beerse. — © if
“The way in which N-VA in particular is destroying the countryside is striking,” says seven farmers from the Diksmuide and Houthulst region. “The A in N-VA clearly stands for Antwerp. Their slogan for Flemish prosperity can safely be changed to Flemish funeral or for Antwerp prosperity. The aversion to the farmers’ union by a number of N-VA executives, who are very closely involved with everything that is the Natuurpunt subsidy carousel, may also be increasingly questioned by their local bases. We don’t give up.” (Read more below the photo)
A sign that was turned over in Houthulst on Saturday night. — © if
In Ypres and Poperinge, the first targeted cities in the Westhoek, the signs are back to normal. “Inverted traffic signs are not legally valid. We risk legal and other problems,” said Mayor of Poperinge Christof Dejaegher (CD&V). His colleague Emmily Talpe (Ypres Open) agreed: “They are a lot of signs and they also serve to direct traffic and indicate the speed limit.”
Let it hang?
There are municipalities that leave them hanging for a few days, such as Langemark-Poelkapelle and Heuvelland. “This is a nice, fun action to draw attention to permit problems in agriculture,” said Heuvellands mayor Wieland De Meyer (Municipal Interests). “We notice that our farmers have been forced to stand still for years due to the indecision in Flanders.”