Farmers protesting in Pancevo, May 18 2023 (BETAPHOTO/AMIR HAMZAGIC)
The farmers who have been blocking the NIS oil refinery in Novi Sad for the past three days announced that they will be radicalizing their protests as of Nov. 15, while the minister of agriculture insists that all their demands have been met.
Said radicalization entails blocking the roundabout where the Novi Sad-Zrenjanin highway enters Novi Sad, in the immediate vicinity of the refinery, four times in one day. The same roundabout was obstructed for 45 minutes on Nov. 14, leading to a two-hour long traffic jam.
Meanwhile, synchronized protests will take place throughout Vojvodina on the 15th, namely in the form of simultaneous traffic blockades at the same locations where farmers have been rallying since Nov. 13.
The protesters maintain that they will persist in their demands and are calling on Agricultural Minister Jelena Tanaskovic to meet with them on the ground.
In a Nov. 15 statement for the RTS public service, Tanaskovic said that all 13 points of the agreement reached with farmers in May have been met, but that the farmers have come forth with new requests and are refusing to speak to government representatives.
“The doors to the Ministry, Cabinet and President’s Office are wide open to them, but the farmers refuse to negotiate,” the minister stated and added that the protests are politically motivated.
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