Dutch farmers and climate activists protest over government policies

More than 10,000 Dutch farmers protested in The Hague on Saturday against government plans to limit nitrogen emissions, a policy they say will spell the end of many farms and hit food production.
Many symbolically held the national flag upside down during the demonstration, which took place ahead of March 15 regional elections and followed similar protests by farmers in Belgium this month over nitrogen emission rules.
Elsewhere in the city, thousands of environmentalists blocked a major thoroughfare in an unauthorised protest against tax rules they say encourage the use of fossil fuels. Police used water cannon to disperse a group of about 100 of the activists late in the afternoon.
The pro-farm protesters carried banners reading “No farmers, no food,” and “There is no nitrogen ‘problem'” during the peaceful demonstration organised by the Farmers’ Defence Force group.