European farmers staged a protest with tractors in Brussels

European farmers gathered in the capital of Belgium, Brussels, forming tractor convoys to protest the European Union’s (EU) environmental policies ahead of the European Parliament elections. Farmers gathered in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, ahead of the European Parliament (EP) elections, surrounded the iconic structure Atomium with their tractors. Farmers arriving in the city from different entrances in the early hours of the morning reached the demonstration area under police escort. Hundreds of demonstrators, including farmers from France, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and Italy, displayed banners on their tractors calling on the EU to support farmers. Farmers hanging banners with slogans such as ‘No Farmers, No Food’ and ‘Don’t Kill Farmers’ called for EU countries to maintain their sovereignty in agricultural policies. The protesters, who opposed the EU’s green deal containing environmental protection rules, demanded that the EU abandon the green deal that weakens the competitiveness of European farmers. While the majority of farmers participating in the demonstrations were from European far-right groups, the decision of many unions not to participate in the demonstration in Brussels, which witnessed heavily attended farmer protests in recent weeks, stood out. The European Parliament elections will take place on 6-9 June.