Dutch farmers staged protests across the Netherlands on Tuesday, setting fire to hay bales and car tires near highways and disrupting traffic as the government prepared to present its 2027 budget plans. The Farmers Defence Force said farmers were responsible for the fires, arguing that government policies were putting their businesses under severe pressure.

Rail services were also disrupted after pipes were deliberately attached to railway tracks at more than 20 locations, mainly in rural areas in the central and eastern Netherlands. Railway operator ProRail classified the incidents as sabotage and halted trains near the affected areas. The disruptions also affected international services to Germany and forced several level crossings to remain closed.

The protests are linked to a wider dispute over government plans to tackle nitrogen pollution, which farmers say unfairly targets their industry. The government has promised compensation for farmers whose businesses could be affected by measures aimed at restoring nature reserves. Dutch intelligence officials, police and prosecutors are investigating the railway sabotage, while Farmers Defence Force said it was not responsible for the incidents.

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