Thousands of tractors descended upon Belgium's capital city of Brussels yesterday, blocking major roadways and clogging traffic in a massive demonstration against the Flemish government's plan to cap nitrogen emissions at the expense of farmers – putting many out of business.
The BB farmers union and their agro-allies amassed an army of at least 2,700 tractors, according to police – enough to form a veritable blanket over the city streets. Police were forced to shut down the roads and warn city-dwellers to move about via public transportation if they must.
The Flemish government has thus far been powerless to reach an agreement with farmers, many of whom are multi-generational and would be driven out of business if the government has their way.
"In the future, I want to have the possibility to continue my dad's farm," farmer Brendan Beyens said. "But right now I feel like the possibility of that happening is slowly shrinking and it's getting nearly impossible, and the future looks very tough."
The melange of lawmakers, environmental advocates, and agricultural activists has proven impossible for the Flemish government to untangle, so the alternative appears to be traffic gridlock. And Brussels isn't the only destination – similar disputes throughout the EU have caused farmers to protest in the form of rolling traffic disruptions and country boys on city roads voicing their disdain for tyrannical elitists.
The political implications of the current conflict will be felt beyond Belgian borders ... in two weeks, Dutch elections will put the spotlight on how their nation is handling climate agenda versus agricultural production.
The EU's green agenda is speculative at best, but one thing is for certain – no farmers, no food!
And no, we will not eat the bugs!
Update: Elon weighs in:
