Czech farmers join in European protests ahead of European Council meeting

Several hundred Czech farmers  joined their European counterparts in a protest against high energy costs, cheap goods from Ukraine, excessive bureaucracy and the European Union's agricultural policies on Wednesday. Around 1,600 farmers are estimated to have joined the protest ride mainly in the regions and at border crossing points. Traffic in Prague should not be significantly affected. The protests are being held ahead of a scheduled European Council meeting on Thursday. Farmers from Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium are also staging protest rides.