Angry farmers clash with police near the European Union's headquarters in a fresh show of force
The HinduFebruary 26, 2024 05:27 pm | Updated 05:28 pm IST - BRUSSELS Farmers clashed with police in Belgium on February 26, spraying officers with liquid manure and setting fire to piles of tires in a fresh show of force as European Union Agriculture Ministers met in search of ways to address their concerns. At the start of the month, a similar demonstration turned violent as farmers torched hay bales and threw eggs and firecrackers at police near a summit of EU leaders. “We can understand that some are in difficult circumstances, but aggression has never been a source for solutions.” French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau told the few reporters who were permitted by police to enter the building that “there’s a need to send signals immediately to tell farmers that something is changing, not only in the short-term, but also in the medium and long-term.” Irish Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said the priority must be to slash administrative red tape. The EU should ensure that policies are “straightforward, that they’re proportionate and they’re as simple as possible for farmers to implement,” he said.