Farmers have blockaded a key oil storage facility in Bassens, near Bordeaux, France, beginning in the night of Wednesday, January 7th, and continuing into Thursday, January 8th. Despite a tractor convoy ban issued by the prefect of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Etienne Guyot, groups from the Coordination Rurale (CR) in the departments of Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantique, Lot-et-Garonne, and Gironde converged on the site, closing several access points and establishing diversions for traffic.
No tanker trucks have left the Bassens depot since early Thursday morning. The depot functions as a logistics service provider for various petroleum product distributors, handling the reception, storage, and loading of fuels, biofuels, and additives for service stations, resellers, and aviation—managing approximately 5% of France’s total fuel consumption.
Members of the CR have established a camp on two strategic roundabouts, intending to remain for an extended period. “We are here to paralyze fuel traffic, which, we hope, will impact the state financially and force it to react,” stated Fabrice Lagueyt, co-president of CR33, and a cattle farmer from Saint-Laurent du Médoc (Gironde). The protests center on opposition to the implemented protocol for culling livestock to contain nodular dermatitis, and the impending vote by EU member states on the free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur.
“The idea is to stay,” Lagueyt emphasized. Representatives from the Coordination Rurale region are scheduled to meet with prefect Guyot this afternoon. “We will discuss around a table once again,” Lagueyt sighed, arguing that this agricultural movement is “peaceful,” but that it is time to be heard. Further blockades are being organized.
