Italian Farmer Brings Donkey to Protest Against Soaring Fuel Prices
An Italian farmer protesting soaring fuel prices brought his donkey to a demonstration in Foggia, presenting the animal as an eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to tractors.
As protests over the rising cost of living expand across Italy, one farmer decided to deliver his message in a rather unconventional way. Instead of arriving at the demonstration with a tractor or farm vehicle, he brought along Suzy, his donkey, presenting her as a viable solution to soaring fuel prices.
The unusual incident took place last Saturday in the Foggia region of southern Italy, where farmers, olive growers, and truck drivers have been protesting since October 12 against high fuel prices and escalating agricultural production costs. Claudio D'Elia, a farmer from the town of San Marco in Lamis, decided to attend the demonstration with his donkey to remind everyone what agriculture looked like before the era of tractors.
"Our agriculture is on the verge of collapse. Maybe she will be our future," D'Elia told the Italian news agency ANSA, pointing to Suzy. "We need to go backward to build the future. Fifty years ago, the donkey helped farmers, and fifty years later, it is returning to help us because we no longer have the strength to continue with technology."
D'Elia added that diesel prices and production expenses have become unbearable for farmers. Although D'Elia's message was amusing, a genuine economic hardship lies behind it, with protesters demanding government intervention.
