PARIS: French farmers started choking off major motorways around Paris on Monday, threatening to blockade the capital city in an intensifying standoff with the government over working conditions.
In recent weeks there have been a slew of demonstrations in the European Union’s (EU) largest agriculture producing country by farmers angry about red tape, incomes, and environmental policies they say undermine their ability to compete with less stringent nations.
Protesting farmers started to block motorways at 2:00 pm, starting with the A13 to the west of Paris, and the A4 to the east, western media reported.
Protesters want to establish eight chokepoints in Paris
Farmers said their objective was to establish 8 chokepoints on major roads into the capital.
A farmer in the southwestern Lot-et-Garonne department Karine Duc who joined a convoy of tractors heading for capital, said that they needed answers.
She said that this is the final battle for farming. It’s a question of survival.
“We will not die in silence”, a banner raised by protesters said.
