On December 18, thousands of farmers flocked to the European Union (EU) agency area in Bussels (belgium), using tractors to block the road and confront the anti-violence police outside the European Parliament headquarters.
The initial protest was aimed at opposing proposed changes to the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP) and a controversial free trade agreement with the South American Common Market ( Mercosur).
Video footage circulating on social media shows dense black smoke from burned tires and straws covering many neighboring streets, as tractors squeeze through police fences, paralyzing many areas of the city.
The demonstrators broke glass doors near parliament buildings and threw rocks, potatoes and many other objects at the police, forcing security forces to respond with pepper and dragon fruit.
Belgian authorities said the protest was only licensed for a limited number of tractors, but by early afternoon, about 1,000 vehicles had flooded into the capital, with an estimated 7,000 participants.
By the evening of December 18 (local time), the police had regained control of part of the area, but tractors and protests continued to occupy many points in the city.
The protest comes at the same time as the EU leaders' summit in Brussels, where the long-delayed Mercosur trade deal continues to be discussed.
Farmers in Belgium, France and many other EU countries are concerned that this deal will open up a door for cheap agricultural products from South America, which will be disadvantageous for European producers who have to comply with more stringent environmental standards and animal welfare.
European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen said the Mercosur deal would not be signed at the end of this week and had been postponed to next month. However, opponents warned that the delay is only temporary, not a reversal in the EU's stance.
Commenting on the situation, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the protest of thousands of farmers, including Hungarians, in Brussels on December 18 was a strong message opposing the EC's cutting of agricultural subsidies to shift resources to aid Ukraine.
