Hundreds of farmers drive tractors to EU summit

Protests near the European Parliament building in Brussels. Pic/AP

Convoys with hundreds of angry farmers driving heavy-duty tractors arrived at European Union headquarters, bent on getting their complaints about excessive costs, rules and bureaucracy heard and fixed by EU leaders at a summit Thursday. After warming their limbs at burning piles of pallets overnight, the farmers mounted their vehicles and entered the Belgian capital with the rumble of engines, firecrackers and blaring horns piercing the early morning slumber in a culmination of weeks of protests around the bloc.

"We also need to make sure that they can get the right price for the high quality products that they provide. We also need to make sure that the administrative burden that they have remains reasonable," said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country currently holds the presidency of the EU. Jean-Francois Ricker, a farmer from southern Belgium, braved the winter night close to EU headquarters and said he expected 1,000 to 1,400 vehicles. "There will be a lot of people. …we are going to show that we do not agree and that it is enough, but our aim is not to demolish everything." Farmers pelted police with firecrackers, eggs, beer bottles and burning bales of hay.

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