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Brussels: About 400 protesting fishermen from France, Italy, Spain and Portugal blocked the main boulevard through Brussels' European Union quarter on Wednesday to demand the EU do more to ease high fuel prices.
Rowdy fishermen threw flares and firecrackers at police across barricades and many waved flags or held up banners demanding action. Hundreds of riot police were deployed, and officers used barricades and water canons to prevent protesters from getting too close to EU buildings.
Fishermen and truck drivers across Europe have protested in recent weeks to demand government aid to help compensate for the high fuel costs that they say are threatening their livelihoods.
Europeans are faced with higher fuel prices than elsewhere because of excise taxes that are added to national sales tax. EU leaders have put the problem on top of their June 19-20 summit agenda.
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