Brussels, Belgium – A video filmed on December 18, 2025 shows a long convoy of tractors moving slowly through Brussels, passing Brussels Midi (South Station) toward the European Council summit area.

The footage, recorded by X user Dennis Abbott, captures dozens of large farm tractors rumbling along urban roads. Some carried flags or protest signs, including one reading: “Ursula, sais-tu qui nous sommes?” directed at EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

This demonstration is part of a major action by French and other European farmers converging on Brussels during the EU leaders’ summit. It ties into the ongoing #AgriculteursEnColère protests in France, driven by two main issues: outbreaks of lumpy skin disease, a viral cattle illness not transmissible to humans, and strong opposition to the proposed EU-Mercosur free-trade deal with South American countries.

In response to the LSD outbreaks and escalating protests—including highway blockades and clashes over mandatory herd culling—the French government deployed the army to accelerate a mass vaccination campaign. Hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses were flown in via military planes, and army veterinary doctors began inoculating approximately 750,000 cattle, aiming to finish within a month. President Macron also reaffirmed that France will not support the Mercosur deal without stronger protections for European farmers against cheaper imports produced under lower standards.

Farmers from across Europe, led by French unions, brought their tractors to Brussels to demand the summit reject the trade agreement outright. The video shows a peaceful but disruptive protest, with tractors filling streets near EU institutions in a dramatic display of force.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download