Ministry trying to discourage farmers from attending protest, PN claims

PN MEP candidate Peter Agius said that several farmers had complained to him about ministry officials calling and asking them not to take part in any protests.

Peter Agius harshly condemned the apparent attempt to intimidate farmers.

Agius’ claim was supported by a news report published on Thursday at noon, written by someone at MaltaToday who chose to remain unnamed.

Several farmers and herders, who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity, said they are being pressured by the agriculture ministry not to attend.

Members of the milk producers’ cooperative KPH were also informed that if they attend, they cannot mention the cooperative, MaltaToday reported.

Protest organisers also confirmed with Times of Malta that members told them they were being pressured to forgo protesting on Friday.

Toni Bezzina, the PN’s spokesperson for agriculture, said later on Thursday that the government should help farmers and not intimidate them.

The government noted in a reaction that the farmers’ demonstration will be protesting European institutions that were completely “cut off from reality”.

It insisted that the Nationalist Party was “spreading a lie” when claiming the ministry was pressuring farmers not to participate in the protest.

No reference whatsoever was made to the various news reports which supported the Opposition’s claims.