Farmers bring France to standstill

‘The system for farmers does not work’

An effigy of French President Emmanuel Macron and a placard reading "Attal, here are 11 tons of proof of love" hang on a tractor blocking the A1 highway near Chennevieres-les-Louvres, close to the Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport, northwest of Paris, on January 31, 2024, as French farmers maintain roadblocks on key highways into Paris for a third day, as part of nationwide protests called by several farmers' unions over pay, tax and regulations. Picture: JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

France’s new prime minister, Gabriel Attal, has told protesting farmers his government will respond “without any ambiguity” to the crisis they face.

Around 15,000 security personnel were deployed to deal with the chaos as farmers blocked eight major motorways around Paris as part of a series of 40 protests across France.