BRUSSELS: Some 1,000 protestors against austerity and a massive EU-US free trade deal surrounded the main European Union buildings in central Brussels Friday, snarling rush-hour traffic as police closed roads.
The protest, bringing together farmers on their tractors and various environmental groups, was meant to coincide with the second day of an EU leaders summit but that wrapped up late Thursday instead.
On a normally busy road junction next to the European Commission's imposing headquarters building, the demonstrators burned effigies of EU leaders watched over by a heavy police contingent, AFP reported.
Police cordoned off the EU quarter in the Schuman district of Brussels, causing early morning chaos in one of the city's busiest areas.
"Merry Christmas and Happy Austerity" read one banner the protestors put up outside the new European Council building.
The Belga news agency put the number of demonstrators at around 1,000 with farmers bringing in about 30 tractors before setting off across the city.
Washington and Brussels aim to seal their Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership by end-2015, creating what would be the world's largest free trade deal.
EU leaders reaffirmed that target at the summit.
TTIP is presented as a major economic boost but many in Europe fear it will undermine standards on food and consumer safeguards, while giving US businesses too much leeway to challenge EU governments to the disadvantage of their citizens.
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