An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows current protests by Dutch farmers against government regulations.

Verdict: Misleading

While farmers are currently protesting in the Netherlands, the picture featured in the post stems from a 2019 protest.

Fact Check:

Dutch farmers blocked supermarket distribution centers across the country this week in protest of government plans that may force them to use less fertilizer and reduce livestock, according to Reuters. In one instance, police opened fire at farmers who attempted to push past a police barrier, Politico reported.

One image shared on Facebook appears to show hundreds of tractors blocking off a highway. “The Dutch Farmers are now out in force,” the July 5 post’s caption claims. “Keep these brave souls in your prayers and back every single farmer in the United States.”

The image predates the current protests. A reverse image search revealed the same photo can be found on Getty Images, where it is dated to 2019. “Farmers gather with their tractors near the headquarters of the the National Institute for Health and Environment (Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu), for a protest against the nitrogen policy rules, in Bilthoven, on October 16, 2019,” the photo’s description states. (RELATED: Does This Video Show German Farmers Protesting Against Vaccine Mandates?)

The same image appeared in a 2019 AFP article about the protests at the time. The article explained the farmers blocked off traffic on highways leading to the Hague over government attempts to curb emissions emanating from farmers. The protest caused 280 miles of traffic, the outlet reported.

Photos and video footage from the recent Dutch protest can be seen in articles published by ABC News, Euro News and Al-Jazeera. Similar protests in June 2022 did cause large traffic jams in certain cities, according to France 24.

This is not the first time images from prior Dutch protests have been shared in posts about recent events. Check Your Fact previously debunked a photo that purportedly showed a Dutch farmer’s protest in 2022 but likewise featured an image from a 2019 protest.