The European organization Via Campesina (ECVC), which represents small and medium-sized agricultural companies, expects several hundred tractors in Brussels on Tuesday. Much less than last time. “But we know from experience that a few agricultural vehicles are enough to block entire neighborhoods,” says the police. A “symbolic action” is planned at Wetstraat, near the intersection with Willem de Zwijgerstraat, around 10:30 am. That is close to the European Commission. What the demonstrators will do afterwards is difficult to predict.
While admitting that some progress has been made since the agricultural protests broke out, angry farmers are still demanding a definitive answer to their questions about, among other things, fair wages for farmers and an end to free trade agreements. The European Commission’s recent proposals are “insufficient” to address the causes of farmers’ protests across Europe, Via Campesina believes. Hence this new action.
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The Brussels police will in any case mobilize a large security force and preventively close many access roads to the capital. They call on the demonstrators to keep it tidy and not to cause destruction. At times the previous demonstration was heated and tractors even drove through police barriers.
Major traffic disruption
The majority of participants in the demonstration in Wetstraat will travel via various access roads from early in the morning.
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“During the entire day (from 6 am), the Wetstraat (between Schuman and the R20), the Reyers tunnel coming from the E40 towards the center and the Cinquantenaire tunnel towards Wet will be closed. The small Brussels ring road can be inaccessible to car traffic at certain times, as can the Arts-Loi intersection. The streets in the vicinity of Wetstraat and the European district may also experience traffic disruption. The problems may continue until the late afternoon,” the police spokesperson said. “We do not recommend coming to Brussels by car and recommend using public transport, with a preference for metro and train, or using other means of transport.”
According to the STIB, several bus lines in the European district will also be severely disrupted. This concerns lines 12 (towards Zaventem airport), 21, 36, 56, 59, 60, 64 and 79. The entrances to Schuman station on the Wetstraat side, NMBS station, Karel de Grote and Lex will be closed. the entrances on the Schumanplein side remain open. The entrances from Maalbeek station to Wetstraat and Jozef II Street will be closed. Only the access to the Etterbeeksesteenweg remains open, it said.
The police think that most tractors will have left the capital before the evening rush hour, but expect a difficult day for motorists in Brussels anyway.
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