11 Jul 2012

Lament in Brussels against low milk prices

5:19 pm on 11 July 2012

Dairy farmers from France, Germany and Italy have spilled thousands of litres of milk outside the European Parliament in Brussels in a protest against low prices.

The Place du Luxembourg was blocked on Tuesday with tractors and statues of cows brightly painted in the national colours of European Union member states, Reuters reports.

A lake created in a tarpaulin was intended to symbolize an oversupply of milk in the EU.

Once it was full, the pool was opened and the milk ran down the street into the gutter.

Protesters were denouncing moves to phase out production quotas which have led to more milk on the market and lower prices.