French farmers block major motorways around Paris as dispute escalates
Al Jazeera
Protesters are demanding better pay and fewer environmental regulations, which they say are impacting their livelihoods.
French farmers have blocked major motorways around France with tractors in a standoff with the government over concerns about inflation and competition from cheap imports.
On Monday, farmers said they aimed to establish eight chokepoints on significant roads into Paris.
“We need answers,” said Karine Duc, a farmer in southwestern Lot-et-Garonne, as she joined a convoy of tractors heading for Paris.
“This is the final battle for farming. It’s a question of survival,” she told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
The government, which has been careful to avoid an escalation, has gradually dropped plans to reduce subsidies on agricultural diesel and promised to ease environmental regulations.
