From Breitbart: Police, who held a line at the very gate of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday were pelted with potatoes by angry farmers worried a new free trade deal will see their livelihoods and industry destroyed.
A government-authorised protest for 50 tractors in Brussels turned into a demonstration with “around 1,000” tractors present and over 7,000 farmers on Thursday. While the protest largely passed off without incident, there were clashes at the European Parliament building, where farmers threw potatoes and eggs and received tear gas and water canon in return.
A large pile of old tractor tyres was lit as some farmers did battle at Place du Luxembourg, the grand 19th century square before the entrance to the European Parliament. Police lines ended up inside the courtyard of the Parliament itself, leaving some EU Parliament buildings — including the historic Station Europe structure — unprotected, where windows were smashed.
In one remarkable incident, a tractor was driven at a line of police, states Reuters, although it appears there were no injuries.
The farmers are protesting the forthcoming EU-Mercosur agreement which will open the European trade bloc up to tariff-free trade with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Farmers say their livelihoods will be wiped out by competition from considerably cheaper goods produced in huge quantities in countries where mandatory standards are much lower.
READ MORE from Breitbart.
Videos posted on YouTube show a massive standoff between farmers and police outside the European Parliament in Brussels, as farmers rolled in with large tractors and police tried to push them back with water cannons.
Someone is blowing a horn repeatedly amid all the melee. The farmers are seen throwing potatoes and shooting fireworks at police.
They also tipped over a large planter into the street, and have set a fire in the center of the street.
Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter.)
The DML News App: www.X.com/DMLNewsApp
The Dennis Michael Lynch Podcast archive is available below, with the most recent on top. Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the show by downloading The DML News App or go to Apple Podcasts.
