Many farmers in Europe are upset with aspects and programs of the European Union. The Associated Press reported the following:
Farmers on tractors create chaos outside an EU summit to protest rising costs and bureaucracy
February 1, 2024
BRUSSELS (AP) — Farmers in convoys of tractors created chaos outside the European Union’s headquarters on Thursday, pelting police with firecrackers, eggs and beer bottles as they demanded leaders at an EU summit provide relief from rising prices and bureaucracy.
With thick smoke from burning bales of hay hanging over parts of the Belgian capital, security forces used water cannons to douse fires and keep a farmer from felling a tree on the steps of the European Parliament. They could not prevent one bronze statue being pulled off its pedestal and scorched.
Thursday’s are the culmination of weeks of protests around the bloc, whose farmers say it’s becoming harder than ever to make a decent living as energy and fertilizer costs surge because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, more and cheaper farm imports make it hard to compete, and climate change-fueled droughts, floods or fires destroy crops. …
Earlier in the week, the government in France, where the protests have been particularly disruptive, showered farmers with promises of help, including emergency cash aid and controls on imported food. On Thursday, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal proposed even more measures, including allowing farmers to use more pesticides if other nations do the same and offering them more financial aid and tax breaks.
The farmers also pushed their way onto the agenda at Thursday’s EU summit, which … Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the farmers’ demands need to be addressed. https://apnews.com/article/eu-farmers-protest-summit-4f3912f5c98a73bc550f1f38ca9e60bb
Here is something from the German press about this:
Farmers protest in Brussels amid EU summit
1 February 2024
Farmers have blocked roads leading to a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday, using some 1,000 tractors, Belgian police said.
A police spokesman told the French AFP news agency that “there are 1,000 tractors or agricultural machinery.”
Angry farmers are complaining about taxes, rising costs, cheap imports, rules and bureaucracy. They are hoping their protests will make their voices heard at the summit.
What happened at the protests?
Riot police stood guard behind barriers where EU leaders are meeting, only a few blocks from the European Parliament building surrounded by tractors.
Some protesting farmers threw eggs at the parliament building, while others set off fireworks and started fires. Police responded by using tear gas and water cannons. A statue on the square was seen damaged.
One tractor displayed a banner saying: “If you love the earth, support those who manage it.” Another banner read: “No farmers, no food.” …
Farmers argue their pay is inadequate and that taxes and green rules are suffocating them, as they face unfair competition from abroad. …
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said: “To the farmers that are outside. We see you and we hear you.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has disagreed with other EU leaders on various issues, including Ukraine, made a point of meeting farmers overnight. …
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar voiced opposition to signing a trade deal with the Mercosur group of South American countries in its current form — another key demand for farmers.
“The priority for us should be implementing existing rules and regulations and not imposing new additional ones on farmers over the next couple of years,” he said. https://www.dw.com/en/farmers-protest-in-brussels-amid-eu-summit/a-68141511
EU farmers want, among other things, that the rules that they must live under be placed on nations outside of the EU so that imported foods are not cheaper than what they produce. They also want the EU to change many of its proposed and actual climate policies.
UPDATE 1030:
February 1, 2024
Rubber bullets and water cannons were deployed against hundreds of European farmers protesting outside the EU Parliament building in Brussels on Thursday. The farmers threw eggs, set off fireworks, and started fires near the building while demanding that European leaders stop punishing them with more taxes and rising costs imposed to finance a so-called ‘green agenda.’ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/chaos-erupts-brussels-rubber-bullets-fired-farmers-protesting-outside-eu-parliament
Things have seemingly heated up in Belgium. Oddly, this part of the story would NOT come up with Google News.
Farmers being upset with the EU is not a new matter.
Last year, Dutch farmers and others were protesting proposed government restrictions and policies:
Farmers, environmental activists hold demos in The Hague
March 11, 2023
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Thousands of farmers and anti-establishment demonstrators protested Saturday in a park in The Hague against Dutch government plans to reduce nitrate emissions, while climate activists angry at what they call state support for the fossil fuel industry broke through police lines to block a major road elsewhere in the city.
The simultaneous demonstrations a few kilometers (miles) from each other took place days before Dutch voters go to the polls in provincial elections. The elections on Wednesday indirectly also indirectly select members of the national parliament’s upper house and could have an effect on proposals for reducing nitrate pollution.
Police said they stopped an unknown number of tractors that were headed for the farmers’ demonstration. The city banned all but two “symbolic” tractors from participating, citing safety concerns.
Thousands of people, many carrying the upside-down Dutch flags that have become synonymous with farmers’ protests and balloons emblazoned with the logo of the far-right Forum for Democracy party, gathered peacefully in front of a park stage for the demonstration. The two permitted tractors drove slowly across the park.
Earlier, Dutch broadcaster Rijnmond showed video of a convoy of tractors crossing Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge early Saturday, apparently on their way to The Hague. One of the tractors was emblazoned with a banner saying in Dutch “#proudofthefarmer.”
As the farmers gathered in the park in the south of the city, Mayor Jan van Zanen gave police permission to use a water cannon on Extinction Rebellion protesters who blocked a major highway in the downtown area near where it runs past the temporary home of the Dutch parliament.
Police said demonstrators who refused to leave the road would be detained. https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/ap-top-news/2023/03/11/tractors-head-to-the-hague-defying-ban-on-farms-protest
March 11, 2023
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Hundreds of Dutch farmers carrying flags and banners began gathering in The Hague on Saturday for a protest against government plans to limit nitrogen emissions, a policy they say will spell the end of many farms.
In a separate protest ahead of the country’s March 15 regional elections, environmentalists were expected to block a major thoroughfare in the city later in the day to protest tax rules they say encourage the use of fossil fuels.
Farmer say the government plans to limit nitrogen pollution would lead to the closure of many livestock farms and reduced fertilizer use. Similar protests were held by farmers in Belgium this month against a regional government plan to limit nitrogen emissions. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-03-11/dutch-farmers-climate-activists-get-ready-for-pre-election-protests
With food shortages and food price inflation in many places, governments should often give more consideration to the positions of farmers.
Last year, I wrote
Expect more protests in Europe. Expect more protests in the Netherlands. Expect more protests in Belgium. (Thiel B. Massive protest by Dutch farmers. COGwriter, March 11, 2023)
That, of course, has happened.
Earlier, on September 26, 2012, I warned (see Protests and Unrest in Spain and Greece):
I expect more civil unrest in Europe. Specifically more in Greece and Spain, as well as Eastern Europe. But I also expect that even in countries like Germany, Austria, and/or the Netherlands and elsewhere there will be unrest, including violent unrest.
Expanded civil unrest will have major impacts on the euro and on Europe itself. It is highly likely to propel a European leader to rise up. The final leader will be the one known as the Beast (Revelation 13:3-4) and final King of the North (Daniel 11:22-44) of Bible prophecy.
Europe is prophesied to have problems (Daniel 2:41-43) and not all the problems have happened yet. Spain and other parts of Europe are likely to have even more significant civil unrest before a strong leader is granted power (cf. Revelation 17:12-13).
Protests in Europe are not over.
Presuming civil war/riots/civil unrest do occur in various parts of Europe on a larger scale, this likely will set the stage for the rising up of a military leader to resolve this.
Once there is major civil unrest across Europe, that would seem to indicate that the final King of the North would rise up fairly soon.
The Bible tells of a basically European kingdom that will be partially strong, partially weak, and with a fragile unity (Daniel 2:41-43), but that will have a frightening type of economic dominance (see Revelation chapters 13,17,18).
A major reorganization is prophesied to happen and push Europe under totalitarian control (Revelation 17:12-13).
Such will not happen until after the ride of all four of horsemen of the Apocalypse will have begun their rides. There will be protests and civil unrest.
Europe’s “solution” to the coming crises will be to turn to a dictator that the Bible warns against.
This will bring prosperity to some and destruction to others (cf. Daniel 11:36-43; Revelation 18).
But in the end, Jesus will defeat the reorganized Europe as the following points out:
12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:12-14)
Then, Jesus will establish the millennial Kingdom of God.
So, there is good news coming, despite various protests and counter-protests.
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