Nearly 4,000 shepherds have stormed Romania's parliament, furious over a new law that limits the number of dogs they can keep to protect their flocks.
One riot officer fired tear gas at the shepherds on Tuesday, some of whom were dressed in sheepskins and brandishing cowbells. Several dozen protesters scaled the walls of the parliamentary palace in central Bucharest, while others forced open one of the doors to its courtyard.
Shepherds at Tuesday’s protest said restrictions on the number of sheepdogs they can use are unreasonable. Photo: Agence France-Presse
A new law recently came into force stating that herds of sheep can be guarded by only a single dog in lowlands, and by a maximum of three in mountainous areas.
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The legislation is designed to stop sheepdogs from scaring away game to the annoyance of local hunters. The law also bans the grazing of sheep between the beginning of December and the end of April, with fines of up to 35 euros.
“We can't keep sheep with only one or two dogs for a whole flock,” said Dumitru Dima, one of the protesting shepherds.
Riot police restrain a shepherd during Tuesday’s protest, in which angry shepherds broke through fences into the grounds of Romania’s parliament. Photo: AP
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“They also want to fine us if we leave sheep out on pastureland after December 6. What are we supposed to do?”
