Police in Brussels fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse a demonstration of farmers trying to break into the European quarter, where a meeting of EU agriculture ministers is taking place.
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Protesters throw eggs at one of the buildings of the Lex European Institutes near Schumann Square. On the Etterbeck Highway, they began dismantling construction barriers and throwing parts of these structures at the police. Tankers spill manure on the streets, and tractors use buckets to demolish police barriers, firing straw at the police.
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Farmers also attacked the police with petrol bombs, after which law enforcement officers used tear gas and water cannons.
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The Euroquarter is littered with haystacks. Earlier, several farmers managed to use their tractors to break through the police blockade at the intersection of Avenue d’Auderghem and Rue Belliard in Brussels. The farmers also started a fire from a large pile of tires, which the police were forced to put out with water cannons.
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About 900 tractors are taking part in the demonstration in Brussels on Monday. The action takes place at the call of the Fugea trade unions, the Federation of Walloon Agriculture (FWA), the Federation of Young Agrarians (FJA), as well as the European Coordination Via Campesina (ECVC).
According to the Belga news agency, the authorities agreed to hold a meeting with representatives of the FJA trade union after the ministerial meeting on Monday.
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On Monday, a demonstration of farmers who disagree with the policies of the European bloc is taking place in Brussels. The farmers are trying to break through to Schumann Square, next to which the headquarters of the European Commission and the Council of Europe are located.
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Earlier it was reported that a demonstration was being held in Brussels at the initiative of local and European associations of farmers. They consider the measures proposed by the European Commission to improve the situation of farmers in Europe insufficient. In particular, farmers fear that the deal currently being negotiated between the European Commission and the South American trade bloc Mercosur will lead to an influx of cheap agricultural products from South American countries into Europe.
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The last major demonstration of farmers in Brussels took place on February 1, when the police counted a thousand tractors arriving in the capital to participate in large-scale protests against the common agricultural policy of the European Union against the backdrop of an extraordinary EU summit.
In recent days, protests from farmers have been growing in the European Union, demanding a change in the pan-European agricultural policy, the removal of numerous restrictions, including environmental ones, and a stop to the uncontrolled import of cheap foreign products. According to various trade union associations, the work of farmers in the EU has practically ceased to be profitable due to the policies of the European Commission and member countries.
