The tractor rally scheduled for this Wednesday, October 28, in Madrid has been suspended following the train accident in Urda, in the province of Toledo. ASAJA, COAG, and Unión de Uniones have decided to postpone the protest actions as a gesture of respect and solidarity with the victims. The protest was expected to bring together around 500 tractors in the capital to demand measures addressing rising production costs and declining profitability in the agricultural sector.
Instead of the march, the organizers have announced a rally featuring five minutes of silence upon the arrival of the farm vehicles that were already heading toward downtown Madrid. The act of solidarity will take place in Plaza de Colón. The suspension changes the nature of the day’s events: the protest gives way to a tribute to those affected by the accident. At this time, no new date has been announced for resuming the protest.
The decision was made with the five columns of tractors already on their way. The vehicles had set out from El Espinar, Buitrago de Lozoya, Guadalajara, Torrejón de la Calzada, and Arganda del Rey, intending to converge at Colón and travel along the Recoletos and Prado boulevards to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. Therefore, the suspension of the protest march does not mean that the tractors will immediately disappear from the capital’s access roads and streets.
The disruption to the high-speed rail line has also affected the travel plans of some participants. The organizers explained to EFE that none of their members were traveling on the two trains involved in the accident, although there were participants on other trains bound for Madrid whose service was interrupted. The organizations are thus putting their demands on hold under the slogan “For a Rural Sector with a Future” and are focusing the day on expressing their support for the victims.