Farmers Protests Spread Across Europe

Europe has experienced an explosion of protests for weeks now by farmers against what they say is excessive red tape, high fuel costs and unfair competition coming from the EU's liberal trade policies.

In recent weeks, farmers in Belgium, Germany, and France have flooded the roads to express their frustration at the presence of unregulated foreign competitors who are driving down agricultural prices. Along with venting their anger, the farmers are calling for simpler regulations and less bureaucracy.

They are demanding that their profession be recognized for its importance, while denouncing the government's agricultural policies for rendering them uncompetitive. Specifically, they are opposed to imports of agricultural products, limitations on water usage for irrigation purposes, the rising costs of diesel fuel, and restrictive measures aimed at environmental protection, which they consider to be a growing financial burden.

Take a look at European farmers' protests in Sputnik's gallery:

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Farmers engage in a collective demonstration by parking their tractors on a small bridge over a highway in Frankfurt, Germany.

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In Orte, Italy, farmers gather near a highway junction with their parked tractors, as they demonstrate against EU agriculture policies. This protest is part of a larger movement sweeping across Italy and Europe.

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French and Belgian farmers protest outside the European Parliament in Brussels, displaying a life-sized plastic cow painted in the form of a skeleton.

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Farmers gather with their parked tractors near a highway junction, in Orte, Italy.

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Farmers in Poland express their frustration with EU regulations by engaging in a slow-driving demonstration with their tractors on a road in Deblin, Poland. The objective is to disrupt traffic and gain public attention.

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Polish farmers in Ryki, Poland, join a protest against agricultural product imports from Ukraine to express their dissatisfaction with the cheap, intrusive competition from the neighboring country. To express their opposition, Polish farmers are blocking over 160 roads nationwide. Their key aims are to denounce the "uncontrolled" imports of Ukrainian agri-food products and to push for a reassessment of the Common Agricultural Policy.

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A tractor dumps manure on a street during a farmers' demonstration to demand better conditions to grow produce and maintain a proper income in Namur.

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With a legion of tractors, farmers block the A4 highway near Jossigny, east of Paris, amid nationwide protests organized by several farmers unions over pay, tax and regulation issues.

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Tractors and trucks flood Berlin's iconic Brandenburg gate. In the backdrop, the Red City Hall of the German capital is visible. This powerful scene unfolds as farmers and truck drivers unite in protest, making their voices heard in Berlin.

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French farmers are seen gathering around a bonfire as they set up a new blockade on the A6 highway near Chilly-Mazarin, south of Paris. This is being done to enable them to get closer to the Rungis wholesale food market, as part of their ongoing protest.

Farmer Protests Spreading Like Wildfire Across Europe