According to a spokesperson for the local police, the tractors mainly come from Belgium.
A thousand tractors are blocking several streets in Brussels this Thursday, February 1, around a summit of leaders of the Twenty-Seven, once morest a backdrop of anger from the agricultural world towards European policy.
“There are a thousand tractors or agricultural machines,” declared a police spokesperson, specifying that these farmers mainly came from Belgium.
On social networks, many residents of the Belgian capital have published photos and videos of agricultural vehicles heading towards the European Parliament.
Tractors in the streets of Brussels, February 1, 2024 © HATIM KAGHAT / Belga / AFP
In the middle of the morning, scuffles took place between the demonstrators and the mobilized law enforcement officers. In front of the European Parliament, following a fire was started by farmers, the police were forced to use water cannons to disperse the crowd.
A statue on Place du Luxembourg, in front of the European building, was torn down by demonstrators.
“Strong announcements” expected
Around 10 a.m., Emmanuel Macron is due to speak with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen regarding the “future of European agriculture”, announced the Elysée, before the extraordinary European Summit devoted to the budget of the EU and the aid to be given to Ukraine.
The aid released on Wednesday by the French government, like the concessions from the European Commission – on fallow land and Ukrainian imports – did not seem to find favor in the eyes of the profession, also mobilized in Italy, Spain and Germany.
On Wednesday evening, French and Belgian farmers blocked a point on the border “together”, denouncing “the distortion of competition” ratified by free trade agreements, and demanding “very strong announcements” on Thursday.
