Travel disrupted around France as farmers blockade Paris and Lyon

The government response stiffens as 15,000 police are deployed to protect the capital

The farmers protest is concentrating around Paris and Lyon (pictured in 2015)
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The French farmer protest is intensifying around Lyon and Paris, as the Interior Minister orders 15,000 police to prevent their entry into the capital.

Farmers have been protesting since January 20 using parked tractors and bales of straw to create roadblocks on motorways around the country, while in other places they are deliberately slowing traffic with rolling barricades.

Read more: SEE: support for French farmer protests higher than for gilets jaunes

They began to converge around Paris on Friday (January 26), with the intention of “blockading the capital”, according to farmers’ union FNSEA.

However, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the deployment of 15,000 police and gendarmerie along with armoured vehicles and helicopters to prevent disruption. Mr Darmanin called the farmers’ entry into the capital a “red line”.

The Interior Minister had previously declared that he “would like to support them politically” on January 28.

Travellers should anticipate severe delays on motorways around the country, even if farmers’ protests are not announced for the area, as farmers from many regions are expected to drive their tractors to the capital.

No delays have been announced at the ports, however farmers have declared their intention to block traffic around Toulouse-Blagnac Airport.

Where are the farmers’ barricades on January 29?

Region

Roads

Where

Type

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Around Lyon

Rhône

Roadblocks

A450

From Monts du Lyonnais, Loire/Rhône

Rolling barricades

A450

Oullins-Pierre-Bénite, Rhône

Roadblock

A7

Around Lyon

Rolling barricades

A47

Around Lyon

Rolling barricades

A43

Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, Rhône

Roadblock

A6

Villefranche-sur-Saône-Limas, Rhône

Roadblock

A480

Isère

Roadblock

A7

Isère

Roadblock

A48

Isère

Roadblock

A43

Isère

Roadblock

Brittany

N165

Quimper, Finistère

Roadblock

N164

Carhaix, Finistère

Roadblock

N165

La Roche-Bernard, Morbihan

Roadblock

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

A77

Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire, Nièvre

Roadblock

Grand-Est

N58

Between Sedan (Marne) and Bouillon (Belgium

Roadblock

Hauts-de-France

Around Amiens

Somme

Roadblocks, rolling barricades

A16

Between exits 11 and 16, Oise

Roadblocks

A1

Between exits 11 and 6

A16

Oise

Rolling barricades

A1

Oise

Rolling barricades

A16

Between Etaples, Wailly-Beaucamp and Isques, Pas de Calais

Roadblocks

Ile-de-France

A1

Chennevières services, Val-d'Oise

Roadblock

A4

Jossigny, Seine-et-Marne

Roadblock

A5

Ourdy, Seine-et-Marne,

Roadblock

A6

Villabé, Essonne

Roadblock

A10

Longivilliers, Yvelines

Roadblock

A12

Access to Paris

Roadblock

A13

Buchelay, Yvelines

Roadblock

A15

Gennevilliers, Hauts-de-Seine

Roadblock

A16

Isle-Adam, Val-d'Oise

Roadblock

Normandy

A13

Between Gaillon and Vernon, Eure

Roadblock

Nouvelle-Aquitaine

From Dordogne

To Rugnis, Val-de-Marne

Rolling barricades

Occitanie

A9

Nimes , Gard

Roadblock

Toulouse-Blagnac Airport

Haute-Garonne

Roadblock

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

A50

Bouches-du-Rhône

Rolling barricades

A7

Bouches-du-Rhône

Rolling barricades

A55

Bouches-du-Rhône

Rolling barricades

Marseille town centre

Bouches-du-Rhône

Protest, rolling barricades

A8, Aix-en-Provence

Bouches-du-Rhône

Roadblock

A51

At A8 junction, Bouches-du-Rhône

Roadblock

How is the government reacting?

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced a series of measures aimed to satisfy many of the farmers’ demands on Friday (January 26), including:

  • Eliminating the planned increases to the agricultural diesel tax
  • Increasing sanctions against companies that circumvent the EGAlim law, which is intended to ensure farmers are paid fairly
  • Opposing the European Mercosur accord with South American companies for food imports
  • €50 in aid for farmers whose livestock were affected by the Epizootic hemorrhagic disease
  • Unspecified measures to simplify the rules and regulations that affect farmers.

Read also: Will €3.5billion pledge be enough to secure future of French farming?

Are the protests losing momentum?

The government’s concessions along with its stiffening response to the protest has begun to cause the number of blockades to decrease.

The 400 km long closure of the A7 and A9 in the south of France has dissipated, as have many other local protests.

Nonetheless, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told FranceInfothat this might be a “difficult week”.

The remaining farmers are converging on Paris amid mounting evidence of convergences with other disgruntled unions.

Taxi drivers, in particular, are on strike, slowing traffic in Bordeaux, Toulon, Lyon, Lille, Tours, Marseille and Nice with rolling barricades.

On motorways in the Paris area, taxi drivers can now be seen parked alongside the farmers’ tractors in their ‘blockade’ of the capital.

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