Brussels under road blocks: It's on fire VIDEO

Brussels under road blocks: It's on fire VIDEO

The roadblocks are taking place near the European Quarter, where EU leaders are expected to attend an extraordinary meeting of the European Council.

The plan is for them to present their complaints about exorbitant prices, rules and bureaucracy to the EU's leaders at a summit scheduled to discuss aid to Ukraine.

Farmers, who came from all over Europe to protest against the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Green Deal, and especially from Italy, blocked Luxembourg Square in front of the European Parliament and set several fires with wood and tires, reports Ansa.

Other cases of vandalism, such as throwing stones and lighting firecrackers, were also reported, and traffic was disrupted in the vicinity of Brussels, reports the Dutch public service VRT. A convoy of farmers on tractors headed to EU headquarters in Brussels earlier today to present their complaints about exorbitant prices, rules and bureaucracy to the bloc's leaders at a summit scheduled to discuss aid to Ukraine.

"There will be many people... We will show that we are dissatisfied and that is enough, our goal is not to demolish everything," said Jean-François Riker, a farmer from southern Belgium, adding that he expects between 1,000 and 1,400 vehicles at the protest. Farmers blocked multiple roads across Belgium, France and Italy on Wednesday as they tried to disrupt trade at major ports and other economic routes.

The protests had an immediate impact and the European Commission announced plans on Wednesday to protect farmers from cheap exports from Ukraine during the war and allow farmers to use some of the land that has been forced to fallow for environmental reasons. The plans need to be approved by the bloc's 27 member states and the European Parliament, but they represent a symbolic concession to European farmers.

"I would just like to assure them that we are doing everything in our power to listen to their concerns. I think we are currently dealing with important topics for them," said European Commission Vice President Maros Šefčovič.