Polish farmers' protests likely to continue, particularly at border crossings

Farmers in Poland will likely continue to stage road blockade protests through at least late March. The most consistent protests will probably occur at border crossing points; however, periodic national-level mobilizations are also likely.

On March 20, farmers' groups will conduct coordinated demonstrations at hundreds of locations across the country. Most demonstrations will affect roadways in rural areas; however, tractor protests are planned for major cities, Crisis 24 reports.

Protest organizers did not immediately announce when the demonstrations would begin.

As of March 18, road blockade protests had spread to the Barwinek-Vysny Komarnik border crossing with Slovakia; similar protests will likely commence at the Chyzne-Trstena border crossing point in the coming days. Farmers' groups are also planning road blockades on the Lithuanian border from March 20 to April 20. Farmers intend to block all road traffic on the DK16 highway in Ogrodniki and the S61 highway junction in Szypliszki 07:00-19:00 daily; both roads cross the border with Lithuania. Farmers are protesting to denounce EU agricultural policies and the continued import of Ukrainian agricultural products.

Border crossing road blockades and protests continue intermittently on Poland's borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine; they will likely continue through at least late March. On the German and Czech borders, blockades typically take place at the Swiecko-Frankfurt, Gubin-Guben, and Sieniawka-Zittau Chopinstrasse crossings with Germany and the Sieniawka-Hradek nad Nisou crossing with the Czech Republic. The actions usually last around 8 hours; protesters typically prevent freight trucks, particularly those with Ukrainian number plates, from crossing the border. Similar actions are possible at other international crossing points with little warning.

On the Ukrainian border, blockades have been reported near the Dorohusk-Yahodyn, Zosin-Ustyluh, Dolhobyczow-Uhryniv, Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska, and Medyka-Shehyni border crossings. Farmers may also block trucks at the Korczowa-Krakovets border crossing.

Although farmers mostly target freight trucks, the protests will likely disrupt cross-border vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Authorities will likely maintain a heightened security posture near affected crossings to monitor the situation and minimize disruptions. Alternate border crossings will likely experience increased congestion.