The mobilization continues, and with it comes a lot of blockades. Despite concessions from Paris and Brussels, farmers’ anger does not subside Wednesday evening as they maintain pressure on highways and around Rungis, where dozens of them were arrested after a brief show of force. In France, more than 150 gatherings were reported Wednesday evening, with 8,500 protesters and 5,500 vehicles, according to a police source.
In the Île-de-France region, seven highway blockades were reported, as well as two processions with less than 1,000 participants and as many vehicles. Access to Paris is not impossible, but requires significant detours. “Convoys of tractors are reported to reinforce existing blockades in the four departments of Île-de-France,” says the DNRT (National Directorate of Territorial Intelligence) in a note we were able to consult.
Since Tuesday, the toll in Buchelay on the A13 highway has been completely unblocked. The convoy, made up of 80 tractors, attempted to approach Paris before being blocked by law enforcement near the Mureaux exit, where they blocked traffic on the A13 from the provinces to Paris. Since Wednesday morning, 37 tractors from Eure and Seine-Maritime have reinforced the blockade. At midday, the blockade point gathered 100 people, 90 tractors, 8 trailers, and a lifting vehicle.
Two blockade points, with 320 tractors, were ongoing on Wednesday. In Janvry, the A10 highway was blocked near the Limours-Janvry rest area. Around 11 am, the blockade point gathered 100 farmers, 120 tractors, and 30 light vehicles. On the A6 highway, a base camp with around one hundred tractors, originally located in Villabé, moved to the Chilly-Mazarin exit.
Around thirty farmers affiliated with the Organic Farmers’ Association (GAB) were also considering setting up a filtering barrier with their tractors in Brétigny-sur-Orge.
Three blockade operations were ongoing Wednesday evening. In Réau, on the A5 highway, traffic was halted by a blockade of 160 tractors. The same situation was observed in Jossigny on the A4 highway, where 173 tractors, 120 cars, 4 trucks, and nearly 300 people at the peak were part of the blockade.
At Guignes, a blockade point initiated by about fifteen farmers from the Rural Coordination of Haute-Saône and Aube, only gathered a handful of vehicles on Wednesday.
Two blockade operations were still ongoing in the Île-de-France region Wednesday. In Argenteuil, the A15 blockade persisted since Monday with dozens of tractors. Traffic is only blocked in the province-to-Paris direction.
In Chennevières-lès-Louvres, the A1 blockade led by 100 farmers with 137 tractors, located in both traffic lanes, was still in place on Wednesday.
Farmers’ movements towards the Île-de-France
The convoy of farmers from the Rural Coordination of Lot-et-Garonne left Agen towards Rungis, continued its route on Wednesday evening despite attempts by law enforcement to blockade them. A large part of the convoy split into three sections heading towards Gien, Sully-sur-Loire, and Châteauneuf-sur-Loire.
In France, several major traffic routes in the regions are also affected by filtering barriers, blockades, or protests.
Local farmer unions were expected to organize movements towards Paris as early as Wednesday evening. A convoy of around fifty tractors was expected to join the A16, while two others were aiming for the A1 highway. The arrival at the blockade point was planned near the Chennevières-lès-Louvres rest area.
In Garidech, ten Young Farmers with seven tractors blockaded the A68 on Wednesday from Albi to Toulouse. A straw wall was set up at the site. The protesters planned to stay at the location for at least the night.
The A11 highway blockade was still in place with traffic blocked from Paris to Angers by five tractors. Another blockade point was also still active at Seiches-sur-le-Loir.
In Clermont-Ferrand, fifty farmers with fifty tractors were still blockading the interchange on the A71 and A75 on Wednesday.
Farmers have maintained the blockade of the A48 in Grenoble for several days with 15 tractors and 25 people. The same situation is observed in Ruy-Montceau at the A48/A43 interchange. At Seyssuel, since Wednesday morning, 31 tractors with trailers and fodder blocked the A7 from South to North.
Near Lyon, farmers aim to encircle the third largest city in France by cutting off all highways leading to it. Three blockade points were ongoing Wednesday evening: in Pierre-Bénite on the M7/A450, in La Tour de Salvagny on the A89, and in Villefranche-sur-Saône on the A6. Regarding the last point, 300 farmers and about twenty light vehicles were on site to ensure shifts. The toll plaza was completely blocked on Wednesday.
In Langon, 500 protesters and 190 tractors blockaded the A62 in both directions. A filtering barrier was also set up in Verteuil.
In Ussel, thirty farmers maintained the blockade of the A89 highway, exit 23, in both directions on Wednesday. The A11 blockade also resumed at the Seiches-sur-le-Loir toll plaza.
In Boiseuil, 150 people with 70 tractors blockaded the A20.
The A6 highway was blocked on Wednesday at Tournus in both directions by 80 tractors and 150 people.
A procession of farmers, composed of about twenty tractors, led blockades on the A7 highway on Wednesday.
The local branch of the FDSEA and Young Farmers organized three road blockades, for a 48-hour period, renewable in 24-hour increments on Wednesday. Blockades took place in Atton on the A31, in Ville-en-Vermois on the A33, and in Bréhain-La-Ville on National Route 52.
The agricultural movement has had serious consequences for road transport companies. They, through the Union of Transport and Logistics Companies of France (Union TLF), demanded “urgent support measures” for companies that “are experiencing unacceptable activity blockades.”
