The ongoing European Farmers' revolt, a protest against the European Union's 'green' policies and regulations, is gaining momentum across the continent.
The farmers argue that these policies are pushing them to the brink of financial ruin and could potentially lead to a manufactured famine.
In Paris, the revolt took a dramatic turn on Friday when hundreds of French farmers drove their tractors into the city, sounding their horns in a deafening protest. The demonstration was centered around the politically charged Paris Farm Show, which was due to be attended by President Emmanuel Macron.
A group of disgruntled farmers stormed the fair ahead of Macron's arrival, expressing their anger over the rising costs, bureaucratic red tape, and green regulations. The farmers clashed with the police inside the fair, shouting and booing, and calling for Macron's resignation.
Reuters reported that the farmers shouted, "This is our home!", as French CRS riot police attempted to contain the demonstration. "This is our home and he's welcoming us with [general reserve police] CRS," Pascal Beteille, one of the demonstrators, told Reuters.
Macron met with French farmers' union leaders over breakfast before arriving at the trade fair. He addressed the farmers' actions, saying, "I'm saying this for all farmers: you're not helping any of your colleagues by smashing up stands, you're not helping any of your colleagues by making the show impossible, and in a way scaring families away from coming."
The Paris farm show, a major event in France that attracts around 600,000 visitors over nine days, is a political fixture. Presidents and their opponents are expected to engage with the public under intense media scrutiny. The farmers' protests, which have spread across Europe, have raised concerns about their political fallout, given they represent a growing constituency for the far right, expected to make gains in European Parliament elections in June.
Upon Macron's arrival at the fair, he was met with boos and whistles. The Associated Press reported that police in full riot gear were deployed at the Paris Agricultural Fair to prevent the farmers from getting close to Macron, who had a planned meeting with the heads of France's main farmers' unions.
Meanwhile, protesters chanted slogans calling for Macron to 'resign' and blew into whistles to show their anger. "We won't be able to respond to the farming crisis in a few hours," Macron said. "It has taken months, years of work for those who came here to present their cattle, their work This fair must go well and calmly."
Macron acknowledged the farmers' anger but warned against any 'violence'. The ongoing European Farmers' revolt is a clear indication of the growing discontent among farmers over the EU's 'green' policies and regulations. The farmers argue that these policies are not only crippling their livelihoods but also threatening the continent's food security.
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