France saw hundreds of farmers gather outside the National Assembly in Paris on 8 January, to protest against the EU-Mercosur trade deal and demand greater protection for French agriculture. Around 100 tractors entered the capital before dawn despite a police ban. Some reached the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower before farmers gathered outside parliament, carrying flags and banners warning of the growing pressure on their livelihoods.
The protest was organised by Coordination Rurale, whose members travelled from several French regions to demand stronger protection for domestic agriculture. They also criticised the government's response to an outbreak of lumpy skin disease affecting cattle. The EU-Mercosur agreement would expand trade with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
French farmers fear competition from cheaper beef, poultry and sugar produced under different environmental and animal-welfare standards. Brussels says European food-safety rules would still apply and that sensitive agricultural imports would be subject to quotas. Tensions rose outside parliament when National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet was booed by demonstrators.
President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, said France would oppose the agreement ahead of a crucial European vote. The protests extended across the country, bringing together around 2,200 farmers and 625 tractors in 39 departments, according to the Interior Ministry. Coordination Rurale called for an end to the demonstrations later that day but insisted the fight was far from over.
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