Other demonstrators blocked the commercial port of Bordeaux in the evening: after an eight-hour journey from Agen, several dozen CR47 tractors and trailers dumped large quantities of tires and waste at two traffic circles. points to close the road giving access to the facilities of the city's Grand Maritime Port, the 7th largest port in the country for merchandise traffic.
At midday, other CR farmers lifted the blockade installed Tuesday on the A9 motorway in Boulou (Pyrénées-Orientales), in the Spain-France direction, the gendarmerie indicated.
The CR had announced that it would be there “to hold out for a long time” but said on Wednesday morning to expect “relays”.
Also in the union's crosshairs on Wednesday: mass distribution.
In the South-West in particular, dozens of tractors temporarily blocked purchasing centers and department stores.
The convoy from Agen to Bordeaux, for example, stopped in the parking lot of a Leclerc store in Marmande (Lot-et-Garonne), dumping tires, cans and plastic tanks in front of the entrances.
“Today, the consumer is being robbed and so are we, these abusive margins from mass distribution, that’s enough!”, launched José Pérez, co-president of the CR union in Lot-et-Garonne, who had started the day by calling the Prime Minister.
“You do not need to convince me of the urgency, the extreme urgency and the distress of farmers,” declared Michel Barnier during this interview captured by the cameras of several media including AFP.
The head of government also called the president of the FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, to assure him in particular, according to Matignon, that all government promises would be kept.
– Soon a 2nd round –
This new episode of agricultural demonstrations comes a few weeks before professional elections. The CR, the second union in the sector, intends on this occasion to break the hegemony of the majority alliance FNSEA-Young Farmers (JA).
These sister unions also demonstrated at the beginning of the week, with symbolic actions such as the lighting of “fires of anger” at nightfall, to “move the lines” and prevent the signing of a draft agreement of free trade between the European Union and Latin American Mercosur countries.
FNSEA and JA had warned that they would mobilize until mid-December against Mercosur, against the standards they consider excessive and for a better income.
Arnaud Rousseau announced Wednesday that the next demonstrations would take place next week, “Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday”, “to denounce obstacles to agriculture”.
“The objective is once again to put pressure on to denounce today what is not acceptable. And, I repeat, always with respect for property and people,” continued Arnaud Rousseau, keen to distinguish from actions organized by the CR.
Waste dumped in front of prefectures, forced entry to a premises of the French Biodiversity Office, blocking of traffic from Spain: the methods of protest chosen by the CR earned it a reminder on Wednesday order of the Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard.
The “acts of degradation, blockages at the Spanish border” during CR demonstrations are “not acceptable” and risk undermining the “sympathy” of the French towards the profession, she said on France 2.
The third representative union, the Confédération paysanne, also organized actions, in Rouen and near Rennes, to denounce all free trade treaties.
In Ille-et-Vilaine, around ten activists gathered in front of a site of the oil giant Avril, a way of also targeting the boss of the FNSEA who chairs this group, symbol according to them of a majority union serving the interests of agro-industry.
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