The first tractors have left Place du Luxembourg, a rallying point for hundreds of farmers and civil society representatives protesting agricultural demands.
The vehicles are now heading towards the outskirts of the Belgian capital amidst a smoky atmosphere and the honking horns, Belga New Agency reports. Guillaume Van Binst, the General Secretary of the Young Farmers' Federation (FJA), confirmed that most tractors have left the area.
However, Van Binst does not rule out the possibility of some tractors remaining. He added that the organising group's actions would continue, including blocking large supermarket depots and the ring road in Halle.
Credit: Belga
Around the same time, tensions flared up around the European Parliament. Some protestors set fire to hay bales, pallets and scooters, and began to throw projectiles, including fireworks and eggs, at the police. The police, in turn, used water cannons.
Earlier this morning, farmers also toppled a statue in the iconic European square, sparking outrage. Brussels State Secretary for Urbanism & Heritage Ans Persoons (Vooruit) condemned the act: "Cheap vandalism always has a counterproductive effect. Too bad for all the people who came to our city today with the right intentions."
