A group of farmers from the Somme have set their sights on Paris to “besiege” the capital. They gathered in Roye, in the eastern part of the department, before heading to one of the blockades organized by the FNSEA and the Young Farmers around the Ile de France. Others who couldn’t make it to Paris, are blocking the Leclerc store in Rivery this Tuesday morning. The Leclerc hypermarket in Rivery remains closed despite the departure of the protesters.
At around 11 am, the farmers decided to lift the two blockades of the Auchan platforms which were set up on Monday morning. About forty farmers and twenty tractors departed towards Rivery to block the Leclerc hypermarket parking lot. Just before the departure of the convoy, Nicolas Beunier from La Chaussée-Tirancourt, gave instructions to his colleagues: “We do not enter the store, we do not break anything.” An hour later, the announcement echoed in the aisles of the store: “Dear customers, the farmers announce that your store is going to close.” Customers can enter the store, but no one else is allowed in. The reason for targeting a Leclerc store? “Because it is a profiteer,” answered the protesters.
Shortly after 2 pm, the farmers lifted their demonstration at the Leclerc in Rivery, but the parking lot is still blocked with hay bales, and the access to the hypermarket remains closed for the time being. The farmers then headed towards the Salouël ring road to block the parking lot access of the Leclerc supermarket.
According to the gendarmes, 35 tractors rolled early Tuesday morning on departmental road 1017 towards Oise. They joined the Chennevières rest area on the A1 motorway, near Charles-de-Gaulle airport. One of the participants in this blockade, Bertrand Ducateau, told France Bleu Picardie at 6 am that they want to stay until at least 6 pm, as per a schedule set up by the FDSEA80. Marie-Françoise Lepers, the general secretary of the FDSEA 80, claimed that “over 70 tractors mobilized, with others arriving.”
Among the farmers, Remi Leroy made the trip from Epehy to take part in the blockade. He said, “Our team from the east of the Somme plans to spend the day on site, even more if necessary.” He, along with his colleagues, is awaiting new announcements from Gabriel Attal during his speech at the Assembly this Tuesday at 3 pm.
Due to this mobilization, the prefecture of Oise closed several sections of the southern department’s motorway on Tuesday, including the A16 motorway in the Somme region. Additionally, the Aisne prefecture is warning of possible road closures, blockages, or slow-moving operations on several points, including a roundabout in the village of Charms and the A4 motorway.
