Farmers’ anger is gradually spreading and with it numerous blocking actions. Like the 400 km of motorway blocked between the A7 and the A9, two of the largest motorways in France. Most of them take place peacefully, under the benevolent or resigned gaze of motorists and the passive gaze of the police who seek to avoid confrontation. Even if the tension is extremely palpable for a profession in distress. But in several places, farmers’ anger has degenerated, or even gone completely out of control.
In Carcassonne, the Dreal (Regional Directorate for the Environment, Development and Housing) building was blown up by an explosion on the night of January 18 to 19. The building was empty and under construction. “While no state agent was injured, significant material damage was to be deplored,” declared the prefect of Aude. An investigation was opened for “damage by dangerous means to property belonging to another by an organized gang”. The act was signed locally by the CAV (Viticultural Action Committee), a radical group which has occasionally carried out violent actions for several years, against state buildings or traders accused of massively importing foreign wine.
Foreign trucks emptied, their contents burned on the road
In Agen, farmers attacked a fast food chain by scattering a bale of hay within the restaurant. A few hours earlier, on January 24, members of the rural coordination, unhappy with their exchange with state services, had sprayed the prefecture with slurry and set tires on fire in front of the building. In Boé, near Agen, they also caused the collapse of part of the roof of a Leclerc supermarket which had been sprayed with slurry. The store had to be evacuated and was closed all day.
In Montélimar, on the A7 motorway, as well as in Nîmes, on the A9 motorway, foreign trucks were the target of farmers. Thursday morning more than a dozen vehicles were relieved of their cargo. “We opened the trucks and everything that was foreign was emptied,” underlines Sylvie Meynier, winegrower and second vice-president of the FDSEA of Drôme. After dumping the contents of the trucks onto the road, the farmers set them on fire. Still on the A9, near Nîmes, trees were completely cut down to be placed on the road. In Gallargues-le-Montueux, this Friday, a truck tried to force a roadblock. A farmer was reportedly injured in this maneuver.
Since Thursday, some voices have been raised to express surprise at this violence and, above all, at the leniency of the police. But, for the moment, the government is trying to avoid the explosion. “We do not respond to suffering with violence,” tempered Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Thursday on TF1. According to a note from the intelligence service, published by the police justice department of TF1 LCI, “risks of slippage” are high if the situation gets bogged down in the coming days.