Details announced for major planned protest set to take place in the Midlands
Further details have emerged of a major planned national community protest set to take place in the Midlands on Saturday, January 10.
The protest, organised by Independent Ireland, is being held to protest against the EU-Mercosur trade deal, a free-trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur that would create the world's biggest free-trade area and help the EU to expand exports, a move that has been met with outrage by farmers critical of the lax regulation on agricultural products which would enter Europe. It will be held in Athlone on Saturday, January 10 (11am).
The upcoming protest will include a tractor and vehicle cavalcade around the town crossing the river Shannon and ending in a rally in the indoor sports arena at the Technological University of The Shannon (TUS) on the Dublin Road in Athlone.
Stewards will be in attendance on all approach roads to the town and all vehicles will be asked to park at holding areas on the approach routes until the protest begins.With the start of 2026, political pressure is mounting on the Coalition Government over its position on the EU–Mercosur trade agreement, which is now entering its final ratification stage.
The Programme for Government contains a clear commitment to oppose the Mercosur deal. That position is coming under renewed scrutiny as France leads a growing coalition of EU member states campaigning to block the agreement.In the European Parliament, opposition is also hardening.
Many Irish MEPs have now publicly stated they will vote against Mercosur, following the recent and powerful farmers’ protests in Brussels, Belgium.From the outset, Ciarán Mullooly MEP has consistently opposed the agreement, tabling multiple resolutions aimed at slowing and scrutinising the process. He has repeatedly warned that Mercosur poses an existential threat to the Irish beef sector, comparable to the devastation Brexit inflicted on the fishing industry.
Together with Michael Fitzmaurice TD, and with the backing of major farming organisations, Mullooly has now called for a national rally to send a 'clear and unified message' to the Coalition Government that Irish farmers and farm families oppose the Mercosur deal.
Plans for the rally are well advanced, and large crowds are expected, reflecting the depth of concern across rural Ireland.Previously, Independent Ireland party leader Michael Collins urged people of all backgrounds to stand together in opposition to the deal, saying: “This goes beyond party politics. This is about the future of farming, rural jobs and food safety. When an issue is this serious, unity matters.”