Angry dairy farmers in Brussels have sprayed riot police with a fire hose full of milk to protest unfair pricing systems they say are putting farmers out of business.
Protesters descended on the European Parliament ealier this week and “unleashed torrents of milk” as part of the violent demonstrations.
After dousing police farmers then turned their hoses on parliament, spraying down a collection of vast marble, glass, and steel buildings.
But they didn’t stop there.
Hundreds of tractors were also moved into Brussels as part of the protest, and barrels of hay and a pile of trees were set on fire, sending black smoke high above the city.
The European Milk Board organised the two-day demonstration, from 26 to 27 November.
The industry collective said current regulations had led to overproduction and put farmers in an “unbearable situation”.
“For a long time, milk prices have not been able to cover production costs and thousands of dairy farmers were already obliged to give up their farms,” it said.
Similar pricing mechanisms are hurting Australian dairy farmers, and just this month milk processor Lion said it would increase the price it pays farmers for their product.
Earlier this year Australian Dairy Farmers Association president Chris Griffin told Food Magazine the Australian industry would continue suffering as a result of the milk price war between Coles and Woolworths.
Image: Geert Vanden Wijngaert / AP
