Protesters threw beetroot, sprayed manure at police and set fire to hay, while hundreds of tractors again blocked streets near the European Union headquarters, the Irish Examiner reported.
The demonstration took place on Tuesday as agriculture ministers sought to ease a crisis that led to months of protests in the 27-member bloc. When protests turned violent again, police used tear gas and water cannons to restrain farmers and some 250 tractors, despite ministers meeting to approve measures to soothe the crisis.
The government criticised farmers for failing to restrain violent elements that threw e-bicycles off a bridge and set fire to the metro station entrance.
Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden stated that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
The violence, arson and destruction during the protests are unacceptable.
Protests rallied from Finland to Greece, Poland and Ireland. Farmers have already won concessions from the EU and national authorities, easing controls on farms, pesticides and environmental rules. A major EU plan to improve protection of nature in the 27-nation bloc and tackle climate change was postponed indefinitely on Monday, emphasising that the protests had a profound impact on policy.
EU member states agreed on Tuesday to proposals to relax and reduce rules in areas, such as crop rotation, soil cover protection, and tillage methods. Small farmers, who make up about two-thirds of the labour force and are the most active in the protest movement, will be relieved of some controls and fines.
The EU parliament is expected to decide on the proposals at the end of April. Environmentalists and climate change activists argue that the EU’s policy shift under pressure from farmers is regrettable as short-term concessions will affect the bloc at a time when climate change is hitting the continent even harder.
