French farmers, dissatisfied with the authorities’ policies in the agricultural sector, staged protests near Lyon, impeding traffic on the roads.
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Earlier, the BFMTV channel reported that farmers are also holding demonstrations near Paris, blocking and impeding traffic on a number of highways.
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A column of farmers led by the (trade union) “Rural Coordination” greatly slows down the movement south of Lyon.
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Farmers are conducting the so-called “Operation Snail,” which involves deliberately moving slowly on roads to cause congestion, the agency reports.
About twenty tractors set off towards Lyon at five in the morning, many of them with placards with slogans attached, and festive music could be heard from the vehicle at the head of the motorcade.
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Franceinfo TV reported that farmers also blocked the A7 highway connecting Lyon with Marseille.
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Farmer protests began again in France in October. In November, the leading trade unions FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs officially called for action against the inaction of the authorities and unfavorable trade agreements of the European Union. Farmers are demanding a reduction in bureaucratic procedures, payment of delayed EU subsidies, support for young farmers, reduced regulation of their work and blocking a free trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur bloc.
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Mercosur is the common market of South America, uniting Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia. As a full-fledged association, Mercosur was formed in 1991, when an agreement was signed in the Paraguayan capital Asuncion to create a customs union and a common market. Mercosur brings together 250 million people and more than 75% of the continent’s total GDP.
