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In a separate protest ahead of the country's March 15 regional
elections, environmentalists were expected to block a major
thoroughfare in the city later in the day to protest tax rules
they say encourage the use of fossil fuels.
Farmer say the government plans to limit nitrogen pollution
would lead to the closure of many livestock farms and reduced
fertilizer use. Similar protests were held by farmers in Belgium
this month against a regional government plan to limit nitrogen
emissions.
Relatively large numbers of livestock and heavy use of
fertilizers, as well as traffic and construction, have led to
levels of nitrogen oxides in the air and water in both the
Netherlands and Belgium that are higher than EU regulations
allow.
Farm groups say the problem has been exaggerated and that
proposed solutions are unnecessarily heavy-handed.
Next week's regional elections are significant because they will
determine the make-up of the Dutch Senate, and because regional
governments are responsible for translating national government
goals - such as nitrogen caps - into concrete plans.
Early on Saturday, the mayor of The Hague issued an emergency
order granting police extra powers to enforce public order and
ensure safety during the planned protests.
Police said in a statement they had begun intercepting farmers
attempting to enter the city on tractors and turning them away.
The Farmers Defence Force group leading the farmers'
demonstration, which has city approval, has encouraged people to
arrive by bus.
Environmentalists led by the climate activist group Extinction
Rebellion say they plan to block traffic on a thoroughfare near
parliament in an unauthorised demonstration likely to lead to
arrests.
(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Helen Popper)
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