Tractors block Belgian-dutch border as farmers escalate protest
ANGRY farmers teamed up to block the Belgian-dutch border yesterday, as demonstration leaders promised to disrupt European elections in an escalation of anti-eu protests spreading across the continent.
Traffic between the Belgian city of Liege and Maastricht in the Netherlands was brought to a standstill in both directions as dozens of tractors from the two countries descended on the main highways across the frontier.
Europe’s farmers are revolting against European Union net zero policies, high costs, cheap imports – including from Ukraine – and low prices for their produce.
Their protest movement has spread across the continent, with promises of disruptive demonstrations in the lead-up to the European parliamentary elections in June.
Belgian police estimated that more than 1,300 tractors blocked central Brussels last Thursday as EU leaders met in the capital for crunch talks over an aid package for Ukraine.
The farmers have since attempted to block borders and supermarket distribution centres in an effort to convey their discontent.
Melanie Broers, a Belgian farmer, told the RTBF broadcaster: “Farmers are still angry today.”
He added: “We have been demonstrating in Belgium for more than a week… There are no concrete measures taken by the Belgian government.”
The protest at the Belgian-dutch frontier ended in the afternoon, with police still warning people to avoid the area because of the congestion.
Denny Hegel, a farmer from Teuven, told Le Vif magazine: “We still have to milk the cows. In addition, we do not want to make people suffer unnecessarily, because at rush hour, we will have left again.”
Supermarkets have said it could take them days before their shelves are fully stocked again after the protests affected supplies. Meanwhile, a convoy of 250 tractors left Tuscany, the scene of earlier demonstrations, bound for the Via Cassia, a main road leading into Rome.
They are expected to congregate on the outskirts of the Italian capital pending further protests later in the week in scenes reminiscent of protests that have paralysed cities in France, Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands.
Danilo Calvani, one of the protest leaders, said: “We will encircle Rome and not just for one day.”
Mr Calvani added that “the mobilisation will begin from Thursday”.
He was speaking after meeting police chiefs in Rome to thrash out details of where and when the protest will be held.
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, claimed yesterday that her Right-wing coalition had done “everything possible” to help farmers since coming to power a year and a half ago.