This ban will come into force from 6 p.m. on Sunday January 5. It comes as the agricultural union Rural Coordination (CR) calls for demonstrations “in Paris” and “everywhere in France”.
The authorities prohibit from 6 p.m., Sunday January 5, “any undeclared gathering” in the center of Paris and the Rungis market area. This decision comes as the agricultural union Rural Coordination (CR) calls for demonstrations “in Paris” and “everywhere in France”.
The police headquarters of Paris and that of Val-de-Marne prohibit gatherings until Monday noon, “considering the calls to demonstrate on January 5, 2025 launched by an agricultural union with a view to 'blocking the capital' and blocking the Rungis national interest market”, according to two decrees published on Friday.
A large area of central Paris including the Élysée and the National Assembly, and an area including the Rungis market and the A6B are affected.
The “security system” put in place “aims to prevent all damage and violence and all violent actions,” said the Paris police headquarters.
Several dozen tractors already dispersed
On Saturday, the Rural Coordination once again maintained, as the day before, its call to reach the capital by car or tractor from Sunday afternoon to demonstrate on Monday. Friday, Matignon indicated that the Prime Minister would receive the agricultural unions “in turn” on January 13, a date considered too distant by the second agricultural union, behind the FNSEA.
“The plans are maintained as planned and kept confidential so that these actions can take place as planned,” Véronique Le Floc’h, president of the CR, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“Several dozen tractors are already scattered, ready to position themselves,” according to her.
“We will be in Paris on Sunday evening”
“We will be in Paris on Sunday evening. We have a meeting point in 91 (Essonne, Editor’s note), another in 27 (Eure, Editor’s note) and another which is in the process of being defined,” said Patrick Legras, spokesperson for the CR, who expects the presence of “several hundred farmers from Sunday”.
Customary of punchy actions, the CR wants to obtain guarantees from the Prime Minister for the defense of agriculture focused on the protection of small farmers whom it considers crushed by free trade.
The union expects in particular a commitment on two points “which cost nothing”, on the one hand, “removing the overtransposition of European rules in France” and on the other hand, the implementation of “controls on imports”, said Patrick Legras.
The call to demonstrate was relayed at the end of December, a few days before the official launch of the campaign for the elections to the chambers of agriculture, which begins on January 7 and will determine the new balance of power between agricultural unions.
