French farmers target speed cameras to protest fuel costs

French farmers have escalated protests against rising fuel costs by targeting speed cameras across several regions. Members of the “Coordination Rurale” union have been involved in covering speed cameras with opaque covers and, in some instances, removing them entirely.

In the Gers department, protesters covered devices with covers inscribed with slogans demanding that non-road diesel (GNR) prices be reduced to €1 per liter. In Haute-Garonne, approximately ten cameras, including those on the Toulouse ring road, were covered to draw attention to the financial pressures caused by high energy costs and recent droughts.

In a more severe action in Rodez, Aveyron, roughly 200 farmers gathered and removed four speed cameras from their locations, placing them in front of public finance centers and the prefecture. Local authorities have filed formal complaints regarding the removal of the equipment. While the French government previously announced a temporary subsidy of 15 cents per liter for September and October, the union maintains that these measures are insufficient to offset rising production costs.