French farmers block highways around Paris as protest reaches capital
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A tractor displaying a placard saying "our end will be your hunger" as farmers block the A16 highway near Amblainville, north of Paris, on Jan 26, 2024.
PHOTO: AFP
PARIS - Farmers blocked one of France’s main motorways linking Paris with the northern city of Lille, the Benelux and Britain on Jan 26, causing kilometres of traffic jams, the first major traffic disruption caused by the protest movement in the French capital.
Local farming unions have called for roadblocks in and around Paris on Jan 26 to step up the pressure on the government which the farmers accuse of not helping them enough to cope with what they say are low food prices and excessive regulation.
The roadblock on the A1 north of Paris lead to traffic jams of around 4km in the morning, according to the transport ministry's online service Bison Fute.
French media reported that farmers had also set up first roadblocks on traffic axes in the Essonne department south of Paris in the early morning hours, while most protests were expected to start in the early afternoon.
The government said it would announce first immediate measures aimed at taming the farmer outrage later on Jan 26 with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal expected to speak in the afternoon.
So far, the government has not specified when and where Mr Attal is due to speak or what measures could be announced. REUTERS
