French farmers blocked famous tourist spot in Paris for several hours
About 150 farmers blocked the Place Charles de Gaulle at the top of the Champs Elysees in Paris on March 1 in the morning. The protesters threw bales of hay to block the avenues leading to the square, and also laid a wreath of flowers on the Arc de Triomphe in memory of the farmers who committed suicide.
The action of the Rural Coordination was aimed at drawing attention to the problems of French agriculture. According to francetvinfo, the first eight tractors arrived at the scene at around 6 a.m.
The police quickly intervened to quickly restore traffic. According to the Paris prosecutor's office, 72 people were arrested. However, they were all released by Friday evening.
The Rural Coordination also blocked the A86 and A4 highways in Saint-Maurice, but by 10 o'clock, the hay was removed and the tourist destination was unblocked.
Nicolas Bonguet, president of the Rural Coordination in the Doubs department, said he wanted to "talk to Parisians and show them what we are doing and why we are here."
The union called for "quick action to save the 45% of farms that are in financial difficulty."
"We need a dialogue, and maybe not necessarily through prohibited actions, as this is a demonstration that was not announced to create additional tension," Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Marc Fesneau responded to the protest.
As previously reported by TravelWise, French farmers announced their intention to lay siege to the capital Paris during the tractor protest.
