The CRS intervened to control the protesters ….
The atmosphere is very tense on Saturday morning at the Agricultural Fair. While the head of state, Francois Hollande was booed and insulted when he arrived , clashes broke out soon after as was witnessed by a journalist from France 2.
Heurts entre policiers et agriculteurs sur le stand du ministère. #SIA2016 pic.twitter.com/1JH0e2o9OS
— Guillaume Daret (@GuillaumeDaret) February 27, 2016
Demonstrators completely dismantled the stand of the Ministry of Agriculture.
After this action, dozens of the demonstrators continued to show their displeasure, for the Ministry of Agriculture and the lack of support from the government with loud whistles for several minutes. The CRS (specialized riot police) intervened to control the demonstrators.
#agriculteurs Les CRS sont sur place et ont sortis boucliers et casques pic.twitter.com/luDE02I75a
— Marie-V. Bernard (@MVBernard) February 27, 2016
“That exasperation, that’s where we are!”
“I am with the farmers of Ile-de-France who came here to say loud and clear to the stand (…) that the farmers of this country do not feel like citizens. That exasperation, that’s where we are!” Said the general secretary of the farmers’ union, Dominique Barreau. Damien Greffin, president of the FDSEA Ile-de-France, said for his part that “two farmers were arrested,” and that their colleagues do not want to participate without them at the show. Another official of the union then outlined five arrests.
Later, protesters again confronted the police, trying to block a van in which their arrested colleagues had been placed in.
#agriculteurs La camionnette est quand même partie, la situation est très tendue pic.twitter.com/eOc5PFklW6
— Marie-V. Bernard (@MVBernard) February 27, 2016
“Our action is legitimate, we can not be content with having only speeches from those in power, we want actions,” commented Jérôme Despey, deputy general secretary of the FNSEA.
President Francois Hollande, on a visit to the salon this morning, was confronted by the anger of the farmers, but was not present at the stand when it was demolished. “You can hear the anger, Violence and material damage” responded the president’s entourage, in response to these clashes.
