After a good-spirited start the atmosphere at Monday's farmers' protest in Brussels turned nasty and police used water cannon to douse the flames of tires set alight by farmers protesting against EU farm policies.
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Fires burn in the European District, police deploy water cannon at road blocks (VIDEO)
Colin Clapson
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Over a hundred tractors converged on the Wetstraat early on Monday and many more groups of farmers, loudly hooting their horns, were to follow.
By 8:30 AM police said 300 tractors had arrived in the European District. A further 100 vehicles were soon expected to join the protest. By noon the tally had risen to 900 tractors in Brussels as a whole.
The atmosphere was good-spirited to start off with, but then the atmosphere changed. Farmers laid tires in front of police road blocks and then set them alight leading the police to use water cannon. The farmers were also equipped with fireworks.
Watch in our video how four tractors break through police blockades and take to the Etterbeeksesteenweg heading for Leopold Park.
Fires burned in the European District where farmers used hay as a projectile (See Video). Eggs were also pelted at the EU's Lex Building.
Access to Brussels Airport was prevented for a while when farmers occupied a roundabout. Traffic remained heavy even when the farmers vacated the interesection.