On Tuesday, farmers operating in the Oise region conducted “inspections” of trucks at the Senlis-Bonsecours and Beauvais toll stations under police supervision for two hours.
The stated aim of the farmers is to examine the loads and report any that do not comply with standards imposed on French operators.
At the French-Spanish border, the protest has led to a blockade. The Catalan traffic authority, Servei Català de Trànsit (SCT), reports severe traffic disruptions on the AP-7 motorway caused by protesting farmers from southern France near La Jonquera. Authorities have confirmed the blockade will continue.
As of 10:00 AM today, SCT reported that due to the protests on the A-9 in Voló, the AP-7 motorway remains closed, with diversions in place on the N-II:
- At Llers/Figueres Nord, in the northbound direction (detours via exit 3).
- At La Jonquera, in the southbound direction (detours via exit 1).
Truck parking areas in La Jonquera and service zones from Hostalric to La Jonquera are completely full. SCT advises drivers to use the Roca and Martorell parking areas.
“An alternative route along the C-16/N-20 is recommended for trucks,” the Catalan services reported. Additionally, the N-230 in Bausen and the N-141 in Bossòst are also impassable due to demonstrations in France.
🚚 Els aparcaments per a camions a la Jonquera i àrees de servei des d’Hostalric fins a la Jonquera estan a la màxima capacitat
👉 Oberts els pàrquings de la Roca i de Martorell
👉 Es recomana ruta alternativa per als camions per la C-16/N-20#SCT
— Trànsit (@transit) November 20, 2024
French farmers have also announced plans to blockade shopping centres in Bordeaux, Gironde, Beychac-et-Caillau, and Mont-de-Marsan today.
Loads destroyed
Yesterday, a truck carrying fruit and vegetables was attacked by protesting farmers during a blockade in Nîmes. Part of the cargo was thrown onto the road, with police and the haulier estimating the damage at between €6,000 and €7,000.
In a separate incident on the A-9 motorway near the Spanish border, farmers from Gard stopped a refrigerated truck to inspect the goods’ origin. According to police, a white 4×4 vehicle forced the truck to stop. Several men ordered the driver to exit and open the trailer, which was found to contain tangerines, lettuce, Spanish onions, eggs, and surimi. The farmers dumped part of the cargo onto the road, disrupting traffic before leaving the scene.
In another “inspection,” farmers emptied two tanks containing 60,000 litres of white wine each onto the road.
#AgriculteursEnColere – “Nous, on arrache et eux viennent vendre leurs vins !” : Les viticulteurs des P.-O., dont certains se sont résignés à arracher leurs vignes, ont vidé un camion citerne contenant du vin blanc espagnol. #Boulou #Espagne #Perpignan pic.twitter.com/F82koS0vb0
— L’Indep Perpignan (@LIndep_perpi) November 19, 2024
The demonstrators are protesting competition from southern European countries that, they argue, fail to adhere to the same social, health, and environmental standards as France, yet export their products en masse to the French market.