Farmers’ protests in Brussels on Thursday have led to the closure of key roads and tunnels in the city’s centre.
Due to the closure of several streets and tunnels in Brussels, the inner ring road is congested on Thursday morning.
On the outer ring road, the R0, the situation was not too bad just before 9 a.m., according to Brussels Mobility.
Motorists are advised to avoid the European quarter. The police confirmed that the Rue de la Loi and Rue Belliard were closed for traffic early in the morning.
Additionally, the Belliard Tunnel (towards E40/Tervuren), Cinquantenaire Tunnel, and Rue de la Loi Tunnel (towards the centre) are also inaccessible.
A total of eight bus routes were disrupted in and around Brussels on Thursday morning, according to the Brussels transport company STIB.
Blockade
On the Brussels ring road near Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, farmers have set up a blockade with around a hundred tractors. Everything is completely closed off. Motorists will lose two hours, according to the Flemish Traffic Centre.
A convoy of tractors is also driving in the vicinity of Zaventem a little further on, but there is movement there and you will lose half an hour.
The Reyers-Centre tunnel is currently closed, but Reyers-Meiser, Reyers-Montgomery and the Kortenberg tunnel are open.
The worst congestion is currently on the E40, coming from Liège, in the vicinity of Bertem, towards Zaventem.
Bus traffic in the European quarter was particularly affected. The bus lines affected on Thursday are: 12, 21, 36, 56, 59, 60, 64, 79. Bus lines in the European quarter did not serve the Maalbeek stop.
Tractors began arriving in Brussels on Wednesday evening, ahead of the large demonstration. Organisers expect over 8,000 protesters and approximately 500 tractors to participate.
The protest, spearheaded by Copa-Cogeca, a European farming organisation, is opposing EU agricultural policies and a proposed free trade agreement with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc.
Coinciding with the event there is a European summit also taking place in Brussels. Traffic disruption is expected throughout the day, and authorities are advising residents and visitors to use public transport where possible.
Water cannons used
In the European quarter in Brussels, the police used water cannons against five tractors at around 9am on Thursday, the local police confirmed.
Damage pictured at the Place du Luxembourg caused by a farmers' protest to denounce the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and unacceptable trade agreements, in Brussels, on Thursday 18 December 2025. Credit: Belga / Pauline Michel
Several tractor drivers attempted to break through a police blockade on Thursday morning. When the farmers attempted to break through, the water cannon was turned on.
Later in the morning, more farmers and tractors are expected in the vicinity of Place Luxembourg.
