Farmers protest across France
Farmers from all sectors - milk, livestock, cereals, fruit and vegetables - were marching the streets yesterday
FARMERS carried out protests across France yesterday after a call to action by national farmers’ union FNSEA and their youth section, Les Jeunes Agriculteurs (JA).
The protests brought together farmers from all sectors, who were campaigning against deregulation and a drop in the price of cereals.
They were also supporting dairy farmers who have been striking and protesting over the low prices they obtain, which they say makes their milk worthless to them, and who plan a new day of protests on October 16.
In Strasbourg at least 1,000 tractors took to the streets of the town to attract attention.
Farmers there scattered produce in the streets and carried banners with slogans such as: "Europe, don’t forget who feeds your children", "we have had suicides too [a reference to France Telecom]", "milk, meat, cereal, nothing’s working, that’s why we’re here" and "we want prices not bonuses."
Elsewhere major protests took place in Bordeaux, Auch, Toulouse and Arles.
Other protests included one in Lourdes, where farmers unfurled a banner saying: "Our message is that a territory without farmers is like Lourdes without its grotto".
In Paris, black banners were put up on the facade of the Trocadero opposite the Eiffel Tower.
