Farmers have been filmed trying to drive tractors through a group of heavily armed riot police during violent clashes in Brussels, Belgium.Farmers were protesting in the EU capital over milk and meat prices, which they say are down 30-40 percent, causing many farms to go bankrupt.Rally organisers said at least 6000 farmers had gathered in the city, with 2000 tractors blocking traffic.Tractors were used to try and break through the police cordon, while hundreds of protestors lit fires and threw stones, eggs and firecrackers at police officers.The protest took place outside EU headquarters where the European Union’s agricultural ministers have gathered to discuss the market crisis.Prices for European meat and milk have dropped due to falling Chinese demand, Russian embargos on Western products put in place in response to sanctions over the Ukraine conflict, and changing dietary habits.The European Commission announced a 500 million euro package aiming to provide relief to farmers."This package will allow for 500 million euros of EU funds to be used for the benefit of farmers immediately. This is a robust and decisive response," European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen said.Secretary-General for the European Copa-Cogeca farmers union, Pekka Pesonen, said the aid package was nowhere near enough to compensate for the loss of the Russian market.“EU farmers are paying the price for international politics,” he said.
Farmers riot in Belgium
