Farmers rally around Welsh capital in latest protest over proposed environmental rules

LONDON — Tractors lined a road in the Welsh capital Wednesday as thousands of farmers and their supporters thronged the parliament to protest proposed environmental protections that would be required to receive subsidies. Protesters held signs reading, “No Farmers, No Food,” and “We Will Not Be Mooooved!” as leaders said some 5,500 farmworkers would lose their livelihoods if regulations are passed that would require them to plant trees on 10% of their land and create wildlife habitat on another 10%. “Where do the people thinking up these schemes think their food is going to come from?” The Cardiff demonstration was the latest to roil a European capital as farmers from as far afield as Athens, Warsaw, Madrid and Brussels have turned out by the thousands to protest everything from agricultural rules proposed by the European Union to Ukrainain food imports to Poland. Last week U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told farmers gathered outside the Welsh Conservative conference that “we’ve got your back.” A Welsh Government spokesperson said it was consulting with farmers and no decisions had been made on how rules will be rolled out.