Protesters from all over Europe gather in Brussels on 15 May. [Anaïs Misson]

SPECIAL REPORT / 240 people were arrested on Thursday (15 May) around the European Business Summit venue in Brussels during non-violent protests organised by trade unions and citizens’ groups.

The protestors had gathered to denounce the budgetary austerity policies in Europe, and the ongoing talks on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the USA, which they say is being negotiated "in total opacity".

video rtbf.be/video

'We don't want more business in Europe'

“Today multinationals are inviting political decision makers like the European trade commissioner Karel De Gucht and they are discussing putting more business in Europe," said Felipe Van Keirsblick, the secretary general of the Belgian trade union for employees, the CNE-CNG.

"We don’t want more business in Europe, we want more democracy in Europe and that’s what people want, not what multinationals want,” Van Keirsblick said.

http://www.euractiv.com/