At the gates of Paris, farmers on the A16 prepare to surround the capital

Thibaud Hue // Photo credits: Delphine Lefebvre / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP 07:06, January 29, 2024, modified at 07:07, January 29, 2024

From 2 p.m., the FNSEA and the Young Farmers of the Greater Paris Basin have planned eight “blocking points” on major highways a few kilometers or tens of kilometers from the ring road on the A1, A4, A5, the A6, the A10, the A13, the A15 and the A16. Europe 1 went to the A16 to meet determined farmers.

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 “The objective is to suffocate Paris”

Wrapped in a blanket, Mathieu, a breeder in Oise, rubs his hands over a brazier. The farmer hopes that this coup will push the government to act. "The objective is to suffocate Paris, the pressure is strategic, it blocks the economy. Unfortunately, we are a country where if we don't move to make ourselves heard, we have nothing." Mathieu reported at the microphone of Europe 1. “It is better that they provide an answer. We killed industry, we killed a lot of things and we are going to kill our last primary sector which is agriculture. We "We're dying and we're going to die," added the breeder.

Luc Smessaert, vice-president of the FNSEA, leads the operations. Everything must be ready for departure around noon. Almost military logistics. "There, we refuel the tractors everywhere on the farms. We keep this base camp. Maybe we will come back here to start again this Tuesday, this Wednesday or this Thursday. There is no more nothing that will stop us. Our government must hear it. What we want above all is to live off the price of our products,” declared the vice-president of the FNSEA at the microphone of Europe 1. Farmers made it clear that they were prepared to hold out as long as possible. The slogan is very clear, they have nothing more to lose.