Around a hundred tractors converged on Paris on Thursday morning as farmers staged a protest against the European Union's plans to advance a free trade agreement with five South American nations, according to the French Interior Ministry.
French agricultural workers have long opposed the proposed Mercosur deal, which involves Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, contending it would severely impact their livelihoods.
Organised by the Rural Coordination union, the demonstration aimed to intensify pressure on the French government, which has already expressed its opposition to the agreement.
José Perez, President of the Rural Cooordination in the Lot-et-Garonne region in southwestern France, said “the goal today is to come to Paris to express our demands closer to those who have the power.”
“It’s a strong symbol,” he told The Associated Press.
The Interior Ministry said about 20 tractors were in the Paris city center, some at the Arc de Triomphe monument and others in the Eiffel Tower neighborhood, despite a ban issued by authorities.
Convoys of tractors “bypassed and forced their way,” the ministry said.
But most of the tractors were blocked further from the center at key traffic arteries that mark Paris’ limit.
Farmers’ concerns about the Mercosur trade deal are combining with anger about government sanitary measures against the spread of a bovine disease, Perez stressed.
The EU this week renewed internal negotiations over a free trade agreement with five South American nations, amid speculation that a deal could be signed in Paraguay on Jan. 12. The deal’s supporters, led by Germany, may be able to pass over the objections of France and Poland.
Fierce opposition from France derailed the deal last month.
French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard reaffirmed France’s opposition to the Mercosur deal on Wednesday, saying it threatens the production of beef, chicken, sugar, ethanol and honey, among other sectors.
