Not seeing much about this story. Looks like the farmers in Europe are not happy.
Here’s the AI summary of the farmers’ protest in Brussels:
On Thursday, December 18, 2025, thousands of farmers converged on Brussels to protest against the European Union’s planned Mercosur free trade agreement and proposed cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget, coinciding with a high-stakes EU leaders’ summit.
The demonstration, organized by the pan-European farm lobby Copa-Cogeca, saw hundreds of tractors block central Brussels, with some protesters engaging in violent actions including throwing potatoes, setting fires, and damaging property, prompting police to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds.
The protest was driven by fears that the Mercosur deal would flood EU markets with cheaper agricultural imports produced under lower environmental and health standards, undermining EU farmers’ livelihoods.
Over 1,000 tractors arrived in Brussels, far exceeding the police-authorized limit of 50, with estimates of up to 10,000 protesters expected.
A splinter group of farmers escalated the protest with acts of vandalism, including toppling the Christmas tree in front of the European Parliament and replacing it with a pyre of burning debris.
While formal organizers like Copa-Cogeca emphasized peaceful demonstrations in designated areas, they distanced themselves from the violent actions, calling them detrimental to the broader cause.
The protest occurred as EU leaders debated not only the Mercosur agreement but also a proposal to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
Irish farmers, including IFA President Francie Gorman and his son Tom, participated in the protest, traveling from Ireland to deliver a message on the future viability of farming for the next generation.
Good for the Irish farmers!