On February 26, a large number of farmers congregated in Brussels to express their disapproval of the agricultural conference taking place in the Belgian capital. Eggs were thrown at EU facilities, tires were set on fire, and police officers were doused with liquid manure by protesters.
During the heated altercation, which saw at least 900 tractors enter the city, demonstrators threw eggs and bottles at the police, who responded by using a water cannon, set fire to tires mounds, and started fireworks. Farmers also demonstrated against the EU’s green initiatives in Madrid and on the Polish-German border. Farmers were also protesting the government’s intentions to create a trade agreement with the “Mercosur” group of South America, claiming that this would further reduce the prices that European farmers charge.
In January 2024, farmers in France staged protests where they set fire to hay bales, stopped highways, and sprayed liquid manure as a form of protest against low-cost imports and growing expenses. Protesters in Agen burned tires and trash and threw them into the prefecture courtyard, demanding that the administration loosen its rules.
Thomas Waitz, an Austrian Green EU lawmaker, explained that the increased costs and workloads that farmers are burdened with must be reflected in food prices. Waitz, who is also a beekeeper and a farmer, urged the 27 states in the EU to ensure that imported food meets environmental standards and does not provide unfair competition to European farmers. Cem Özdemir, Germany’s agricultural minister, commented that any biodiversity and environmental measures needed to ensure that farmers could make a reasonable living. He claimed that farmers spend a quarter of the time at their desks on average because of the “bureaucracy monster” of the EU.
Food prices ought to reflect the higher expenses and burdens that farmers face, according to Austrian Green MP Thomas Waitz. Waitz, a farmer and beekeeper, pleaded with the 27 EU members to make sure imported food complies with environmental regulations and doesn’t unfairly compete with farmers in Europe. The German Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, stated that protecting biodiversity and the environment was necessary to guarantee that farmers could earn a living wage. He asserted that because of the “bureaucracy monster” that is the European Union, farmers typically spend a quarter of their time at their workstations.
The goal of the strategy is to “extensify agriculture” and either reduce or buy out livestock, according to a “heavily redacted” European Commission document, as noted by Thomas Fazi in a 2023 article for UnHerd about the “Great Reset” and the threat posed to the establishment by Dutch farmers. Although initially optional, Fazi noted that mandatory measures were not completely out of the question.
Farmers were using their tractors to get through barriers during the demonstration in Brussels. According to Farmers’ Forum spokesman Tijs Boelens, the riots were caused by the EU’s agricultural policies and the ensuing economic instability, and you reap what you sow—miserable conditions breed hatred. While the Flemish Boerenbond farmers’ organization commended the recent protests in Flanders, they stated that their manner of campaigning was not the violent protests on the 26th. Not everyone agreed with the direction of the protests, though.
