The widespread farmers’ protests happening all over Europe are having in France one of its most dramatic chapter, as tractors and cars are set to block all highways around Paris, and the security forces are on alert.
In a very typical move, President Emmanuel Macron and his government have ‘caved’ to some farmers demands, but this time around the agricultural workers seem ready to go the extra mile in their protest over low produce prices, high fixed costs, growing red tape and the crippling ‘green’ regulations that expose them to exports from foreign countries.
Reuters reported:
“Farmers in France, the European Union’s biggest agricultural producer, have complained of unfair competition from rivals in more lightly regulated countries. Over the last week, they have set up roadblocks on motorways to highlight their cause. They have also damaged property, including local government offices.
Some farmers’ unions called for protesters to set up transport roadblocks around the capital on Monday, and to target the Rungis food market near Paris.
‘Our aim is to encircle Paris’, farmer Daniel Faucheux told BFM TV, as he prepared to travel to the capital in a convoy of farmers’ vehicles and tractors.”
French farmers pouring manure on the gates of the administrative building of Agen Prefecture. pic.twitter.com/y7rR2C3QdN
— Paul Serran (@paul_serran) January 28, 2024
Paris police increased security around Rungis market and the Paris Roissy airport, including the use of armored vehicles.
“Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said those measures were to ensure no tractor could get into Paris, but he nevertheless warned of disruption on Monday in the Ile-de-France region, which covers Paris and the nearby suburbs. He added that around 15,000 police would be used as part of the security operation.”
All this happens to the background of upcoming European elections in June. Rightwing parties are predicted to make big gains, and have garnered a lot of farmer support.
Heavy police presence, including armored cars, to keep any tractors from entering Paris. pic.twitter.com/5zeewF1cKf
— Paul Serran (@paul_serran) January 28, 2024
“French far-right leader Marine Le Pen – President Emmanuel Macron’s closest opponent in the 2017 and 2022 elections – visited some of those demonstrating in northern France. ‘We have got to get our farming out of these free trade agreements’, she said.”
Macron’s government is a succession of never ending crises and mass protests, from Yellow Vests to Tyrannical Pension Reform to immigrant riots and Islamist rage over Gaza – so they decided to cave, and drop plans to reduce state subsidies on agricultural diesel.
Too little, too late, responded the farmers, not incloined to stop now. So France’s interior ministry Darmanin ordered a large deployment of security forces around Paris.
— Paul Serran (@paul_serran) January 28, 2024
ABC News reported:
“Darmanin said he ordered security forces to ‘prevent any blockade’ of Rungis International Market — which supplies the capital and surrounding region with much of its fresh food — and the Paris airports as well as to ban any convoy of farmers from entering the capital and any other big city. He said that helicopters will monitor convoys of tractors.
Farmers of the Rural Coordination union in the Lot-et-Garonne region, where the protests originated, said they plan to use their tractors Monday to head toward the Rungis International Market.
France’s two biggest farmers unions said in a statement that their members based in areas surrounding the Paris region would seek to block all major roads to the capital, with the aim of putting the city ‘under siege’, starting Monday afternoon.”
Read more:
Peter Sweden: IT’S SPREADING – Massive Farmers Protest in Germany (Video)
