French farmers on Monday (Jan 29) started blocking several motorways around Paris, demanding better working conditions, higher pay and less red tape.
The massive protests forced the authorities to deploy thousands of police to guard a fresh food market and airports in the French capital.
The farmers say that these problematic policies undermine their ability to compete with other countries.
First, the farmers blocked the A13 highway to the west of the capital, then they moved to the A4 to the east and the A6 on which hundreds of tractors rolled towards Paris from the south.
Sytadin, which is a traffic monitoring service, said that by mid-afternoon the farmers appeared to have met their objective of establishing eight chokepoints on major roads into Paris.
As quoted by the news agency AFP, Karine Duc, a farmer in the southwestern Lot-et-Garonne department, said, “We need answers.”
Duc joined a convoy of tractors heading for Paris and she also added, “This is the final battle for farming. It’s a question of survival.” A banner on a tractor in the convoy said: “We will not die in silence.”
Government’s reaction
The government ordered the deployment of 15,000 police and gendarmes in response. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told security forces to show restraint, but also warned the farmers not to interfere with strategic spots.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told security forces to show restraint. But he also warned the farmers not to interfere with strategic spots.
He said, “We’re not going to allow government buildings or tax offices or supermarkets to be damaged or lorries transporting foreign produce to be stopped.”
(With inputs from agencies)
