Trucks loaded with fruits and vegetables of Spanish origin This Thursday, we once again became victims of various events Attack on French farmersThey are in full mobilization against their Government for a multitude of demands. These latest attacks, which Agriculture Minister Luis Planas described as “unacceptable”, took place at various points in the Rhône Valley, where hundreds of agricultural vehicles – from tractors to pickup trucks, excavators and trucks – blocked the A7 motorway. N7 road and they are scattered on the road lots of manure, straw, rubble and tires.
As a result of this action, approximately fifteen truckloads of fruits and vegetables fell to the ground south of the city of Montélimar, while a few protesters in Nimes set fire to Spanish fruits and vegetables dumped on the road. another blockade.
Sylvie Meinier, winemaker in the Drôme region and president of the FNSEA union, admitted to the BFMTV television channel that she and her group “stopped foreign trucks with great courtesy.” “We opened them and emptied everything foreign.he continued. “What makes us angry is that we have to import the food we have here. We are producing under extraordinary conditions,” Meynier added.
Already on Wednesday, several incidents were recorded with non-French food shipments. In one of them, in Brittany, images could be seen of the driver of a truck with French plates trying to offer resistance to farmers. When they found out he was carrying Spanish ham, they emptied the box..
“This seems absolutely unacceptable to me,” Planas said before speaking to the Congressional Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Committee to report on the broad outlines of his department’s policies.
The minister stated that he fully respected “the right to demonstrate and the right to freely express one’s opinion”, but that this meant nothing as long as it was carried out “in a respectful and peaceful manner”. by violent means and coercion“. “These events violate the principle of free movement within the framework of the market,” he continued.
Complaints of those affected
The Spanish Confederation of Goods Transport (CETM) condemned the situation, which it described as “ugly” on its social networks, while the association of mass consumption producers and distributors also condemned this situation. Aecoc This Thursday, he demanded that the Spanish government “encourage the French rulers to take action.” emergency measures To avoid incidents recorded recently on the French border and other important roads in the country.
“These incidents put at risk the safety of drivers and the fluidity of commercial operations between France and Spain and to other European countries,” Aecoc said in a statement. said. CETM also noted that protest actions “are no longer just about blocking roads or slowing down traffic, but also blocking access to logistics warehouses“, so they recommend postponing planned trips due to the possibility of Black Friday on French roads.