On Monday, hundreds of angry farmers took to the streets of Brussels to voice their dissatisfaction with the European Union (EU). During a conflict with law enforcement, protesting farmers sprayed police officers with manure. The protestors also took other aggressive actions toward the globalist governance in Brussels, such as throwing eggs at EU buildings.
Those in the European agricultural industry has taken issue with EU policies such as the governing body’s green agenda as well as plans to enact a free trade deal with the South American “Mercosur” bloc consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The European farmers believe such a deal would diminish their pricing power while threatening their businesses in a competitive struggle.
The spokesman for the Farmers’ Forum Tijs Boelens commented on the violent protests in the EU capitol, entirely blaming the trade bloc’s agricultural policies which threaten the industry’s sovereignty. “The riots here today are the result of a European agricultural policy that always opts against economic security in our sector… If you sow misery, you will reap rage,” he said.
However, the spokesman noted that, while he does not favor violent tactics, the “mismanagement” of policy has created the conditions at hand. “I am not in favour of the riots, there is a more friendly atmosphere here. But at the same time, it is the result of European mismanagement; farmers are always used as currency to secure economic deals for industry in Europe,” he continued.
The spokesman continued illustrating the dire economic situation in which the EU’s policies have placed European farmers. Citing issues such as food security, he called out the continent’s leader to make substantive changes.
“With this, we do not create food security but rather are ensuring that our own farmers have to live in permanent economic stress. We are here today at the European Quarter because we want to make our point clear to European leaders: we must choose food security and food sovereignty. Neoliberalism’s time is up.”
The Flemish Boerenbond farmers’ union Spokeswoman Elisabeth Mertens disavowed the ongoing violence in Brussels, claiming these actions do not represent her organization. She further called for all perpetrators to be held responsible.
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“The protest actions in Flanders have always been serene and safe in recent weeks. What we see in Brussels today is in stark contrast . That is not our way of taking action. These organizations and individuals do this on their own responsibility,” the spokeswoman said.
“For us, it is about the message that we want to give here today, which is to call on European policymakers to recognize the strategic importance of the agricultural sector,” Mertens noted, explaining that European farmers face stringent regulation from Brussels and suffer from free trade with other countries around the world who can undercut their prices.
The fed-up farmers have turned Brussels into a “warzone.” Footage of the European Quarter depicts a city ravaged with destruction and debris while fires rage in the streets. Watch footage captured from the ensuing protest below.
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.