Police Use Water Cannons Against Protesting Farmers in Brussels

Police used water-cannons against EU farmers protesting in Brussels against low food prices on Monday as the demonstration turned violent, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Brussels Nieuws newspaper cited police sources as saying that some 4,800 farmers from across the European Union had gathered in Brussels' European Quarter in downtown Brussels, where the buildings of major EU institutions are located.

According to the police sources, protesters threw eggs and firecrackers at officers. Waste and tires were set on fire in the streets, causing black clouds of smoke to appear above the European Quarter.

According to the protest organizers, more than 6,000 protesters with 2,000 tractors have gathered in Brussels, blocking traffic in the city with the hope of urging EU authorities to financially support producers, left on the brink of bankruptcy by low prices, undermined by cheap imports.

#Brussels #FarmAction now includes fireworks on Rue Belliard. pic.twitter.com/v8OA3qfrU2

— Guillermo Beltrà (@gbeltra) September 7, 2015

The protest coincide with an extraordinary meeting of EU ministers of agriculture, being held in the European capital.

It is expected that the state role in agricultural markets in the bloc will be debated in the meeting, with a special focus on the challenges in the dairy sector and livestock production. In addition, the ministers will discuss the impact of the ban on EU agricultural products imposed by Russia.

According to the Copa-Cogeca farm trade union, EU agricultural producers have claimed damages of some $6.13 billion as a result of the food embargo.