©Reuters. Demonstrators wearing T-shirts with the logos of farmers’ unions FNSEA and Jeunes Agriculteurs gather to protest at the opening of the 60th International Agricultural Fair (Salon de l’Agriculture) at the Porte Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France,
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By Stephanie Lecocq and Manuel Ausloos
PARIS (Reuters) – A group of French farmers stormed a major Paris agricultural fair on Saturday ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s planned visit, amid anger over costs, bureaucracy and environmental regulations.
Faced with dozens of police officers inside the fair, farmers shouted and booed, calling for Macron’s resignation and using expletives aimed at the French leader.
“This is our home!”, they shouted as lines of French CRS riot police tried to contain the demonstration. There were some clashes with protesters and police arrested at least one, a Reuters witness saw.
Macron, who had breakfast with the leaders of the French farmers’ union, was then supposed to walk along the avenues of the fair.
“I say this to all the farmers: you will not help any of your colleagues by destroying the stands, you will not help any of your colleagues by making the show impossible and in a certain sense scaring the families who will not come.” Macron told journalists after his meeting with union leaders.
The Paris agricultural fair, a major event in France that has attracted around 600,000 visitors over nine days, was scheduled to open at 9am (0800 GMT). The gates were still closed at 08.38 GMT, following the assault by angry farmers.
In a sign of tension between French farmers and the government, Macron canceled a debate he wanted to hold at a fair on Saturday with farmers, food processors and retailers, after farmers’ unions said they would not take part.
Farmers have protested across Europe, demanding better incomes, less bureaucracy and decrying unfair competition from cheap Ukrainian products imported to aid Kiev’s war effort.
The farmers’ protests, which have spread across Europe, come as the far right, for which farmers represent a growing constituency, is expected to make gains in June’s European Parliament elections.
French farmers earlier this month largely called off protests that included blocking highways and dumping manure in front of public buildings after Prime Minister Gabriel Attal promised new measures worth 400 million euros ($433 million).
But protests resumed this week to put pressure on the government to provide more help and keep its promises, ahead of the Paris agricultural fair.
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