Farmers Protests in Brussels, clashes with police near European Union’s headquarters

In a new display of power, farmers attacked police in Belgium on Monday, dousing them in liquid manure and lighting tires on fire. The conflict occurred at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers, who were trying to find solutions to their problems.

900 tractors, many of which were aimed towards the European Council building where the ministers were meeting, had reportedly entered the city, according to Brussels police. A plume of smoke billowed from the area as riot-clad police positioned themselves behind barbed wire and concrete barriers to defend the EU headquarters with water cannons.

The farmers are upset with bureaucracy and competition from low-cost imports from nations that are exempt from the EU’s strict regulations. Enormous numbers of tractors were parked along major thoroughfares that led to the city’s European district, causing traffic jams and impeding public transportation.

There are others who are bemoaning the apparent gradual demise of farming. “Farming. One added, “You dream of it as a child, and you die of it as an adult.”

A similar protest that took place near an EU leaders’ summit at the beginning of the month descended into violence as farmers set fire to bales of hay and tossed eggs and firecrackers at the police.

The demonstrations are the most recent in a string of farmer-led events taking place throughout Europe.

Farmers who feel that French President Emmanuel Macron isn’t doing enough to help them welcomed him with jeers and whistles on Saturday at the opening of the Paris Agricultural Fair. Protests have recently affected Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Spain.

The campaign has picked up steam as political parties prepare for the June 6–9 elections across Europe. Results have already been seen. An anti-pesticide plan was shelved earlier this month by the EU executive branch as a courtesy to farmers, a significant voting bloc.

The ministers in Brussels, on the other hand, were eager to demonstrate that they are paying attention.

The farmers’ worries are about the cost of adhering to environmental regulations, a reduction in support from the EU’s agricultural subsidy system, and the effect of Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s grain supplies, according to the EU presidency, which is being held by Belgium