Incidents with farmers throwing objects at police forces who responded with tear gas erupted shortly before 12 noon in Brussels outside the European Parliament building.
Thousands of farmers are in Brussels to protest against the EU-Mercosur agreement.
They say they are concerned about the prospect of an influx of products from South America into the EU and about the reform of agricultural subsidies.
The EU-Mercosur deal will create the world's largest free trade area and help the EU export more goods such as vehicles, machinery, wine and spirits to Latin America. But farmers argue that it will also make it easier for beef, sugar, rice, honey and soy produced by their South American counterparts to enter Europe.
The surprise blockade
This was preceded, shortly before midnight on Wednesday, by the appearance of more than 100 tractors that blocked Rue de la Loi, in front of the buildings of the European Commission and the European Council, surprising the authorities.
The demonstration came as a surprise, as Belgian media reported that the farmers were expected to arrive in the Belgian capital in the early hours of Thursday. However, shortly after 11pm local time, a procession of more than 100 tractors crossed Rue de la Loi, the main road that passes in front of the buildings of the European Commission and the European Council.
Nighttime pandemonium in Brussels, farmers block the avenue in front of the Commission
Traffic on Rue de la Loi was disrupted, with the road essentially "cut" in two, while police authorities carried out extensive countermeasures in an effort to limit the presence of tractors and decongest the area. According to information, some of the farmers had Luxembourg Square as their meeting place.
Strong police forces were deployed at the scene, with the assistance of helicopters and airstrikes, in order to prevent further escalation and maintain control around the European institutional buildings.
Source: protothema.gr
