French farmers angry at economic woes block roads closer to Paris

Protests by French farmers have crept closer to Paris, with tractors driving in convoys and blocking roads in many regions to ratchet up pressure for government measures to protect the agricultural sector from foreign competition, red tape and rising costs.

Barricades of straw bales, stinky dumps of agricultural waste outside government offices and other demonstrations have rapidly blown up to become the first major crisis for newly appointed Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.