Over the past few days, French farmers have implemented blockades on various roads and highways, as well as at the Port of Calais. Social media is abuzz with videos showing protesters emptying foreign trucks carrying fruit and vegetables and destroying the cargo, sometimes even damaging the vehicles.
On Monday, Jan. 29, attention shifts to Paris, where thousands of tractors are converging. A blockade of highway access points and the Rungis food market is expected. The FNSEA association has announced that the siege of Paris will last at least five days, while the government is deploying significant police forces and the army, complete with armored vehicles and helicopters. The airports of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly will also be under siege.
The farmers' protest crossed into the French-speaking area of Belgium on Saturday, Jan. 27, where tractors have already blocked traffic on some highways. Particularly affected is the Daussoulx junction, where the E411 artery, connecting Brussels to Luxembourg, and the E42, leading to France and Germany, intersect. Belgian farmer associations are threatening a week of mobilization.
In Italy, the first farmers' protest emerged over the weekend. On Jan. 28, several tractors occupied the Orte roundabout leading to the A1 highway for a few hours, resulting in the closure of the highway toll booth for both entry and exit. Traffic eventually returned to normal.
