A convoy of tractors rolled into the European Quarter in Brussels as EU buildings loomed nearby. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas to push back protesters. Demonstrators dumped fertilizer onto the streets, lit tires, and tested police barricades while video clips from the smoky Belgian capital circulated on social media. The action occurred during a scheduled meeting of EU agriculture ministers.
READ ALSO: Nearly a thousand tractors in central Brussels and burning tires in front of the EC headquarters. Another farmers’ protest against EU policy
In Brussels, clashes broke out as farmers gathered for a protest on Monday. Bottles and projectiles were reportedly in circulation. Authorities deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd, and protesters set tires ablaze near roadblocks by Rond-Point Schuman, the hub of EU institutions. Water cannons were later used to douse the flames. One widely shared video on social networks shows manure being dumped onto the street, underscoring the intensity of the confrontation.
Tractors in Brussels
Several hundred tractors entered the European Quarter, with some managing to bypass certain police barriers. One barrier proved ineffective because it did not include the cycle and pedestrian paths, allowing tractors to head toward Rond-Point Schuman. Access to the European Council building was temporarily blocked as authorities established a safety zone.
A delegation of demonstrators planned to meet with Belgium’s Minister of Agriculture, David Clarinval, and with the European Union’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, to convey their concerns and seek dialogue.
Farmers’ claims
Representatives of farming groups attributed the unrest to sustained economic pressure: falling prices driven by cheap imports, burdensome regulations, and environmental policies they described as unfair. The Belga agency reported that a main demand was to retract the EU from certain free trade agreements, including parts of the EU-Mercosur deal with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
The EU-Mercosur agreement is intended to boost trade by reducing duties and quotas on meat and other agricultural products. Protesters argue that such a pact would intensify competition and hurt Western European farmers, who would face stiffer competition from cheaper imports. In addition to opposing agricultural trade agreements, farmers are seeking fair wages and changes in the EU’s agricultural policy. They criticized proposals from the European Commission that would limit the use of arable land within the EU, arguing these measures could raise production costs and threaten farm viability.
This demonstration marks the second major farmer protest in Brussels within a month. On February 1, more than a thousand tractors caused gridlock in the capital during an EU summit, highlighting ongoing tensions between farmers and policymakers.
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Citation: Belga Agency; coverage by wPolityce journalism
Source: wPolityce