Farmers’ protests that began in France in mid-January have spread across Europe in a fight for less bureaucracy and protection of their livelihoods amid the continent’s rising cost of living.
The protests caused chaos outside the European Union’s headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, where EU leaders were holding a summit. In France, two major farmers’ unions later suspended country-wide blockades due to new government measures.
A convoy of farmers driving about 1,300 heavy-duty tractors in Brussels blared horns and snarled traffic to draw attention to their plight. Some set fire to tires and threw stones and eggs, while others warmed themselves on piles of burning wood
