French farmers called by the Rural Coordination (CR) union have blocked the entry of trucks from Spain on the highway through the La Junquera border crossing since early afternoon, within the framework of the protest campaign that extends throughout the country. country.
About twenty tractors and around a hundred people participate in this operation that is being carried out at the Le Boulou tollbooth, on the A9 motorway, and that at first it has been developed without the intervention of the French law enforcement forces, as was confirmed EFE on the ground.
The protesters, who settled shortly after 12.00 hourshave left a lane to allow passenger cars entering from Spain to circulate, but they prevent trucks from doing so and have begun to control them in search of those carrying meat or wine in their cargo, as they have explained.
It has not been confirmed that they have found any, nor that they have looted the loading of the trucks.
All vehicles, private cars and trucks, can continue to circulate without any restrictions on the highway in the France-Spain sense.
A spokesperson for the Prefecture (Government delegation) of the Pyrénées-Orientales department has confirmed to EFE he highway blockade for vehicles arriving from Spain.
The spokesperson, who said she had no information about a possible intervention by the gendarmes, indicated that there will be more information as the afternoon progresses.
In its X account, the Rural Coordination (second union in the agricultural sector in France) had anticipated its intention to block “to all trucks in the Spain-France direction” although cars would circulate normally.
“We want once again for the anger and desperation of the farmers to be heard,” had stressed the president of this union in the Pyrenees-Orientales, Philippe Maydat, who highlighted among his demands the demand for “urgent aid to save our farmers.”
This Tuesday, the CR organizes different actions throughout the country, like the National Federation of Agricultural Operators’ Unions (FNSEA, the largest agricultural union) to pressure its Government because it considers that they have not obtained most of the demands that motivated their protests a year ago.
In this case, the demand that appears first is the abandonment of the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur that the European Commission is trying to advance with the support of a majority of the governments of the member countries, among which Germany and Spainbut with the total opposition of France.
To put pressure on Brussels, the French Government announced today that it is going to propose the organization of a debate in Parliament, followed by a vote, knowing that there will be a overwhelming majority against that treaty.
France, on the other hand, is trying to form an alliance of community countries that can impose a veto and prevent the completion of the EU-Mercosur pact.
#French #farmers #block #entry #trucks #Spain #Junquera #border #crossing #rejection #EUMercosur #agreement
