Farmers’ union threatens disruption to Paris and surroundings this weekend
Union is requesting a meeting with the new prime minister over improved conditions, and warns further disruption may be on its way
Farmers protested multiple times throughout 2024
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A leading farmers’ union is calling on farmers to drive to Paris this weekend and blockade the city, potentially causing chaos for the first weekend of 2025.
The Coordination Rurale union made the call publicly on December 30, urging all members to drive towards Paris this Sunday (January 5).
It came after days of social media posts by farmers threatening a march on the French capital.
The union hopes to put pressure on new prime minister François Bayrou and achieve a meeting with him.
“For a year now, the farming community, which is in crisis, has been trying to find solutions’, " said union member Patrick Legras to French media outlet RMC.
“The aim is to go up to Paris and the surrounding area to, we hope, have a very quick meeting with the prime minister and agriculture minister,” he added.
If unsuccessful in its aims, the union has hinted it will urge members to engage in further, more disruptive action.
This could include the blocking of roads by farmers and their vehicles – both inside France and at international crossings – as well as demonstrations outside of town halls.
Read more: Row continues over €1.39 bottles of French wine in Lidl supermarkets
A year of protests
Farmers began a series of increasingly disruptive protests in January 2024 with sporadic action being held throughout the year since then.
Action was held over the difficult working conditions for farmers, changes to special exemptions on diesel for agricultural vehicles, and more recently, over the planned free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur countries in South America.
The government consented to special fuel exemptions for farmers continuing, however much of the other aid and measures promised back at the beginning of the year to quell the disruption has been slow in coming forward, with farmers running out of patience over the situation.
“The demands that are being made cost the French government nothing. We want to have a courageous interlocutor who will take these decisions which have been dragging on for over a year now,” said Mr Legras.
The last major protests held by farmers came in November.
Read more: France affected by second week of major farmer protests
