Thousands of farmers blocked the center of Brussels this Monday and were involved in clashes with security forces near the headquarters of the European institutions, where 27 agriculture ministers discussed the crisis in the sector.
“We are here again because the EU did not listen to our demands,” said one of the coordinators of the protest, which brought together farmers from several EU countries, including Portugal.
There were moments of intense tension in the morning as dozens of tractors cleared police barriers and came within meters of the headquarters of the European Commission and the European Council. Police used water cannons and tear gas against protesters, who responded with stones, bottles, eggs and dung, and set fire to tires and bales of straw in the streets. There were no reports of injuries or arrests, but traffic in the center of the Belgian capital was blocked for several hours.
“This is a show of force so that there is no doubt about the determination of farmers and the need to change the rules regarding the Common Agricultural Policy,” said Luse Luis Mira, secretary general of the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers (CAP). . . European farmers have been protesting for months against low prices, rising fuel prices, unfair competition from products imported from outside the EU and excessive bureaucracy imposed by Brussels, which they say is stifling the sector.
Author: Ricardo Ramos
Source: CM Jornal
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