CBRN event in Belgium on Thu 18th December 2025

🇧🇪 Farmer protests escalate in Brussels amid EU-Mercosur trade talks Protests by farmers have continued in Brussels, with turnout far exceeding what authorities had approved. Brussels police said they had authorized a demonstration involving up to 50 tractors, but by the end of the day, around 1,000 tractors, mostly with Belgian license plates, had arrived in the capital. Police estimates put the number of protesters at around 7,000 people. Protests by farmers in Brussels have intensified, with police reportedly using tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators. Protesters responded by throwing potatoes at security forces and setting tires on fire in the streets. The demonstrations coincide with an EU summit in Brussels, where leaders are discussing whether to sign a trade agreement with Mercosur, the South American bloc that includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Farmers argue that the deal would flood EU markets with cheaper products from South America, and they are demanding that the agreement be rejected, claiming it undermines the interests of European producers.