Firefighters' campsite protest enters second week

Firefighters in the Gard are entering the second week of a campsite protest outside the préfecture in Nîmes over a lack of personnel and resources.

The camp first appeared outside the building on October 23, and fire service personnel are prepared for the long haul, France Bleu Gard-Lozere reports. Picnic tables, barbecues, toilet facilities, and even a Christmas tree have been set up at the site.

Departmental council leader Denis Bouad has said he is willing to meet representatives, and has scheduled a meeting for November 8 - but union leaders say they have received little feedback on a document outlining their grievances, including demands for more staff and equipment to do their job, so members votes unanimously against taking part in the meeting.

"We want strong, precise and concrete commitments," the unions said.

Support for the firefighters' cause is spreading. Colleagues from the Rhône travelled down to the Gard to join the protest camp at Nîmes on Sunday, while residents from Montélimar were due to bring protesters a meal on Monday, Midi Libre reports.

Meanwhile, a petition supporting the firefighters has garnered more than 20,000 signatures from passers-by.