French farmer protests against EU-Mercosur deal

French farmers have engaged in escalating demonstrations to oppose the European Union-Mercosur trade agreement. Initial actions focused on maritime and transit infrastructure, including straw bale blockades at the La Pallice industrial port and the Maïsica cereal site in Bayonne. Protesters also blocked the A63 motorway near Bayonne, though that specific blockade was lifted following negotiations with local authorities.

Protests subsequently expanded into large-scale national demonstrations. Organized by Coordination Rurale, approximately 2,200 farmers utilized 625 tractors to march through 39 departments, reaching landmarks in Paris such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.

Protesters are demanding protections for domestic agriculture, citing concerns that the deal with Mercosur nations—Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay—will lead to an influx of cheaper beef, poultry, and sugar produced under different environmental and animal welfare standards. While Coordination Rurale called for an end to the demonstrations during the Paris march, they noted that the struggle remains ongoing. President Emmanuel Macron has stated that France will oppose the agreement.