These steps included reversing the tax on diesel fuel used by tractors that had been agreed a few months ago and pledging to accelerate the disbursement of funds through the EU's Common Agricultural Policy.
Gregoire Pouyanne, a wheat farmer in a rural town in the Paris region, said he was “perplexed” by the lack of “concrete and concrete” measures announced by the prime minister as he set up camp at one of eight blockade points that had been imposed. On the motorways around the French capital on Monday.
The protest was called by the sector's main union, FNSEA, of which Bouillant is a local representative. The temporary camp on the A15 motorway in Argenteuil, about 10 kilometers from the Paris city limits, indicated the farmers' willingness to stay put.
Dozens of protesters, wearing green hats and jackets to represent their union, parked their tractors in line and set up tables under tents to use as a social area, offering an aperitivo of beer served in plastic cups, potato chips and peanuts as a symbol of protest. Evening arrived. Toilets, barbecue facilities, an electricity generator, and a sound system were installed to meet vital needs and recreational activities.
“Our mission is to make our voice heard throughout Paris,” said Godefroy Boutin, who grows a variety of produce on his farm and sometimes repairs exercise equipment to make ends meet, noting the lack of care and understanding for the country's rural areas. From politicians and journalists alike. He added, “The Minister of Agriculture includes government employees, who are likely to be competent but have limited knowledge of agricultural work.”
Union-led protests currently remain in the suburbs of Paris. But roads and highways near the city may soon be closed as well. “Everything is on the table,” said Damien Radit, a beet farmer and elected representative of the sector.
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