Thousands of farmers descend on Madrid for major tractor protest over EU policies

Wednesday's demonstration is the biggest to take place in the Spanish capital after more than two weeks of action.

Transcript

00:00 Tractors take over the center of Madrid.

00:08 Spanish farmers have been protesting for more than two weeks against the EU policies and

00:13 to demand measures to alleviate production cost hikes.

00:20 Five hundred tractors set off from five towns near the capital, affecting traffic in various

00:25 parts of the community of Madrid.

00:29 The only incident has been on the A42 motorway between Toledo and Madrid, when a group of

00:34 farmers blocked the motorway, after the Guardia Civil refused to allow the tractors gathered

00:40 there to leave.

00:45 A hundred and twenty were authorized to go to Madrid, leaving another two hundred tractors

00:50 blocked.

00:54 Spanish farmers denounce the rising production costs, increased environmental requirements

00:58 from the EU, increased bureaucracy and the arrival of agricultural imports from third

01:04 countries.

01:05 [BLANK_AUDIO]