To the piercing sound of explosions and tractor horns, farmers with muddy faces and dirty boots hurled insults at armed police who erected a barbed-wire barrier in front of the Parliament, blocking it from all angles. Nearby farmers steadily added to a large bonfire, several of which burned across the square, and police fired a wobbly water hose in their direction.
A Flemish farmer who refused to give his name said the “Irish” and “some French” farmers had pushed over the statue, the head of which was slowly roasting in one of the bonfires. Straw covered the streets and the grass on the square had been churned into a muddy mulch.
Italians from farmers’ lobby Coldiretti chanted: “This is not the Europe we want” and sang a call and response of “No farmers! No food!”
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola sent a message to the farmers from the European Council meeting: “We see you, we hear you. If you want your voice to be heard, make it heard also in June, when you vote for the European Parliament elections,” she said.
The Maltese lawmaker argued that the farmers’ protests show that “we need to listen more” to some sectors of society before the election.
Do not approach
Police with handguns and riot shields guarded the EU assembly, where officials were warned not to attend due to the unrest. “It is recommended to telework,” staff were told in an email seen by POLITICO. “It is strongly recommended not to approach the demonstrations and not to take photos,” the institution informed them in another email.
