Europe Protests Gather Steam as Spanish Farmers Block Roads Nationwide

Farmers in Spain have blocked roads across the country to protest against steadily rising fuel costs and unpopular European Union trade policies that they say are wrecking the viability of their businesses. The protests in Spain follow similar actions by farmers in several other EU states, including Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, and the Netherlands. “We [farmers] face the same problems throughout the EU,” Donaciano Dujo, vice president of ASAJA, one of Spain’s leading farmers associations, said in broadcast remarks. On Feb. 6, thousands of Spanish farmers—driving their now-familiar green tractors—blocked highways and roads in several parts of the country to press their demands....