VIDEO. “There’s no use here!” : after the blocking of the Place de la Libération, angry farmers want to set up at the entrance to Auch to filter the trucks

Since Tuesday morning, Rural Coordination 32 (CR32) has occupied Place de la Libération in Auch. The farmers set up their “base camp”, with bales of straw and tarpaulins, and spent their first night in the Gers capital.

During the day on Tuesday, a Groupama employee came to discuss insurance with farmers. They were also able to discuss with the MSA, agricultural social security, regarding CAP payment files.

Exchanges which did not calm their ardor since during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the CR32 carried out several actions in the city.

In the direction of Pavie, the radar on Avenue des Pyrénées was covered with tires. In front of the MSA and in front of Groupama, tractors also came in the evening to dump manure.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a handful of farmers were present at the wake, under their camp at Place de Libération. Colonel Philippe Laforcade, head of the Gers gendarmerie group and who took office last September, came to meet them. “For now, we're staying here. We're waiting for answers, others should join us throughout the day,” explains a farmer.

Shortly after 5 p.m., European MP (LR) and Tarn cereal farmer Céline Imart came to chat with the farmers in their tent.

“We are not yellow vests!”

During the day, the farmers of CR 32 remained blocking this central point of the city of Auch. The group gradually grew. By mid-afternoon, there were around fifty of them under the makeshift shelter. The discussions were going well. Should we stay there or has it come time to break camp?

“We’re of no use here,” says a farmer in the audience. “We are not yellow vests!” shouts another.

Everyone seems to agree on this point. As the discussion progressed, we leaned towards blocking the roads, with trucks opening and checking the goods. “Be careful, we definitely don't empty! Otherwise it looks like theft. And above all, we don't provoke the drivers, we remain courteous.”

The entrance to Auch in the viewfinder

But block what? And where? The Auch ring road seems to be the logical choice. Some would already like to go to Toulouse. It will certainly be for later. For the moment we are organized into two groups, a night team and a day team. “We’re going to do the 2x12s,” someone in the audience laughs.

The two groups are quickly formed, the youngest will take the first “shift” this Wednesday evening. It remains to be seen which vehicles to take to block the dual carriageway in both directions, at the Saint-Cricq roundabout. It's a little after 4 p.m., several farmers set out and fetch tractors, livestock trucks and trailers.

“We're eating here this evening (on the Place de la Libération, Editor's note), and we're leaving at 9:30 p.m. We'll stay several days if necessary,” says Lionel Candelon, the boss of the CR32 and recently also elected president of the agricultural union for the Occitanie region. Besides, in the rest of the department, we are waiting for instructions.

“With the 46 and the 31, we are keen to go to Toulouse. Airbus or the Lespinasse oil depot. You tell us, you're the leader”, says someone by telephone on loudspeaker to the leader of the CR32. The latter cuts off the speaker, walks away and returns a few minutes later. It will be the Auch ring road this evening, while waiting for the rest…