Dutch farmers block motorways in protest of environmental rules

Protesting Dutch farmers returned to block motorways on Wednesday as they seek to undo detested environmental regulations.
Dung, hay or waste were loaded onto roadways and fires were set. The actions led to long traffic jams, the transport authority announced on Wednesday.
Clean-up operations were expected to take several hours. The authorities warned of dangerous situations for motorists.
Some motorways and rural roads were blocked for hours, according to traffic services. The actions were mainly concentrated in the east of the country near Apeldoorn, Amersfoort and Hengelo near the German border.
For weeks, Dutch farmers have been protesting against planned measures to drastically reduce nitrogen emissions. By 2030, emissions are to be reduced by 50% on average. According to government calculations, this could mean the end of about 30% of livestock farms.