French Farmers Escalate protests in Côte-d’Or, Disrupting Traffic and Demanding Government Action
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Farmers across the Côte-d’Or region of France intensified their protests on Thursday, January 8, expanding actions beyond tollbooths to include blockades on secondary roads and highway access points. The escalating demonstrations, fueled by concerns over the upcoming ratification of the European Union-Mercosur trade agreement and broader anxieties about the agricultural sector, prompted a response from the Côte-d’Or prefecture, which implemented traffic regulation measures.
Road Blockades Spread Across the Region
The day began with a blockade of the A6 motorway at the Saulieu tollbooth, impacting traffic in both directions. While initially intended to remain in place “until tomorrow morning at least,” the blockade was lifted later in the afternoon. Some participants relocated to a filter dam in Aisy-sous-Thil, while access to the A6 motorway at the Bierre-lès-Semur toll remained closed throughout the day due to debris left by previous protesters.
According to Florent Guyomard,president of the canton of Saulieu-Liernais for FDSEA 21,a similar action is planned for Friday,January 9,in Arnay-le-Duc.
Further north, in Baigneux-les-Juifs, departmental road 971 was blocked to traffic starting at 10 a.m. approximately 30 farmers from the Châtillonnais area, representing both unionized and non-unionized groups, were involved, vowing to maintain the blockade “until Friday morning at least.” A diversion was established on the busy route connecting Châtillon-sur-Seine to Dijon.
“The road is blocked but we let the emergency services and the police pass if necessary. We try not to disrupt traffic too much. We explain to peopel our discontent,” confided Hugo Perroquin, president of the Aignay-baigneux-Recey canton of the JA21 union.
Concerns Over Mercosur Agreement Drive Protests
A central grievance driving the protests is the impending ratification of the European Union-Mercosur trade agreement. Farmers fear the agreement will flood the European market with cheaper agricultural products from South America, undermining their livelihoods.
“The government is openly mocking us for being ready to sign the agreement. If they want to force, then we will force too,” a farmer stated, adding that further, potentially undeclared, actions could be taken.
Filter Dams Target Heavy Goods Vehicles
In Aisy-sous-Thil, Young Farmers from Précy-sous-Thil and Semur-en-Auxois, supported by Rural Coordination, established a filter dam on departmental road 70. their primary objective is to raise awareness of the challenges facing the agricultural world and, specifically, to disrupt the flow of heavy goods vehicles.
Théo Villarmet, president of the Précy-sous-Thil JA, explained, “Blocking heavy goods vehicles is our priority. We allow light vehicles to pass so as not to penalize the local population.” Trucks are being allowed to pass in waves every two hours, and the operation is scheduled to continue until Friday evening, with over fifty trucks already lined up.
Further Disruptions Reported Across Côte-d’Or
Additional protests were reported in Nuits-Saint-Georges, where the tollbooth was briefly blocked midday before being lifted around 2 p.m. Farmers also established a filter dam in Venarey-Les Laumes, intending to remain there for at least twenty-four hours.
Late Thursday evening,around 7 p.m., the FDSEA announced via Facebook that the Arc-sur-tille toll woudl be “blocked for the night.” Shortly after, at approximately 9:30 p.m., the FDSEA informed its followers on social media that they were awaiting a response from the Prime Minister following a meeting with the prefect in Dijon earlier that afternoon.
The situation remains fluid,with farmers signaling their intent to continue protests until their concerns are adequately addressed.
