Protesting French farmers choke off major motorways around Paris
Farmers in the EU's largest agriculture-producing country are protesting income disparities, excessive regulations, and environmental policies they claim undermine their competitiveness against less stringent nations
Tractors and other vehicles queue on the A16 highway as French farmers try to reach Paris. / Photo: Reuters
French farmers have begun choking off major motorways around Paris, threatening to blockade the capital in an intensifying standoff with the government over working conditions.
Protesting farmers began to block motorways at 2:00 pm local (1300 GMT) on Monday, starting with the A13 to the west of the capital, and the A4 to the east, reporters said.
In recent weeks there have been a slew of protests in the European Union's largest agriculture-producing country by farmers angry about incomes, red tape and environmental policies they say undermine their ability to compete with less stringent countries.
Farmers said their objective was to establish eight chokepoints on major roads into Paris.
"We need answers," said Karine Duc, a farmer in the southwestern Lot-et-Garonne department as she joined a convoy of tractors heading for Paris.
"This is the final battle for farming. It's a question of survival," she said.
In recent weeks, farmers' protests have grown in Belgium, Germany, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands.
Police to protect airports
In response, the government ordered the deployment of 15,000 police and gendarmes.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told security forces to show restraint. But he also warned the farmers not to interfere with strategic spots.
"We're not going to allow government buildings or tax offices or supermarkets to be damaged or lorries transporting foreign produce to be stopped. Obviously, that is unacceptable," he said.
Darmanin said the protests also not be allowed to affect Paris's Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, or the Rungis international wholesale food market south of the city.
Armoured police vehicles were deployed to Rungis on Monday after some farmers threatened to "occupy" it.
Police and gendarmes are also under orders to prevent any incursion into Paris itself, said Darmanin.
The government has been trying to keep discontent among farmers from spreading ahead of European Parliament elections in June which are seen as a key test for President Emmanuel Macron's government.
Macron called a meeting with several ministers Monday afternoon to discuss the situation, his office said.
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