Tractors Block Access in Belgium to Key North Sea Port as Farmers’ Protests Spread

Following similar actions in France and Germany, farmers take to the streets in Belgium to protest against unpopular EU policies.

Farmers block the Iroise bridge in Brest, France, on Jan. 24, 2024, as they protest against taxation and falling incomes. Fred Tanneau/AFP

Farmers in Belgium have blocked access to the country’s second-largest seaport to protest steadily mounting fuel prices and unpopular European Union policies that they say are destroying their businesses.

The protest in Belgium follows similar actions by farmers in other EU member states, including France, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands.