Hundreds of Czech farmers drove their tractors into downtown Prague on Monday, disrupting traffic outside the Agriculture Ministry, as they joined protests against high energy costs, stifling bureaucracy and the European Union's Green Deal, Ednews reports citing Reuters.

Farmers across Europe have taken to the streets this year, including in Poland, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, to fight low prices and high costs, cheap imports and EU climate change constraints.

Czech farmers are planning to join protests this week, although major agricultural associations distanced themselves from Monday's action, in which tractors blocked one lane of a major road through Prague, slowing but not completely snarling traffic.

Several hundred whistling and jeering protesters outside the Agriculture Ministry yelled "Shame" and "Resign" in comments directed at the minister, who has not met organisers of the tractor protest.The government has said the organisers have little to do with real farming.

"Today's demonstration does not have much in common with the fight for better conditions for farmers," Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on X social media platform, adding that some of its organisers were pro-Russian or had other political aims.
"We are negotiating with those who represent farmers and discussing what our agriculture needs are," Fiala said.