The farmers were protesting anything from what they see as excessive red tape to increased environmental measures, cheap imports and unfair trading practices.
“Let us make a living from our profession,” read one billboard on a huge tractor blocking a main thoroughfare.
Environmentalists and climate activists say the change in EU policies under the duress of protesting farmers is regrettable.
Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesPolitically, the bloc has moved to the right over the past year.
The plight of farmers has become a rallying cry for populists and conservatives who claim EU climate and farm policies are little more than bureaucratic bungling from elitist politicians who have lost any feeling for soil and land.
Persons:
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Organizations:
European Union, Belgian, EU, European Commission
Locations:
BRUSSELS, Brussels, Finland, Greece, Poland, Ireland