Heavily armoured Dutch police officers have begun arresting farmers protesting the government and blockading roads.

Videos show law enforcement ripping farmers from their tractors and dragging them away from a food distribution blockade in Sneek, Netherlands.

“The Mobile Unit is currently deployed at a distribution center on Edisonstraat in Sneek. A group of activists has been blocking the site there for some time. After several warnings and a WOM letter from the municipality, the activists have still not left,” writes Politie Fryslan in a tweet [translated from Dutch].

“The deployment of the ME is still ongoing. There are a group of people who have joined in during the day but are not activists, yet also refuse to leave. Several people have been arrested in Sneek.”

In one video, heavily-armoured police can be seen brandishing a baton while approaching an older man backing away with his bicycle. The man continues to move back as the officer lunges at him and smacks his baton against the man’s bicycle. It doesn’t appear this man was involved in the protests and was merely checking out what was happening. There is no indication that the man was violent.

As previously reported by The Counter Signal, up to 20 food distribution centres have been blocked by trucks and tractors today, including those in Nieuwegein, Drachten, Heerenveen, Zwolle, Veghel, Breda, Beilen, Woerden, Nijkerk, and Geldermalsen.

Dutch farmers are undertaking the protests and have been joined by fishermen, all of whom are protesting a business-destroying green policy which will require businesses to reduce nitrogen emissions nationwide by 50% and up to 95% in some provinces by 2030, with cows and fertilizers being significant contributors.

“The honest message … is that not all farmers can continue their business,” a government statement reads.

The agriculture industry isn’t the only one being targeted, though — aviation has also come under fire, and it’s expected those in the industry will join the farmers in protest.