Protesting – French Style

Here in Brittany emotions run high when an action carried out by one is regarded by another as unjust; and never more so than when it affects the agricultural community. The recent contention is the disparity of profit between the milk producers compared to those gained by retail outlets; predominantly supermarkets.

“Retailers are making big margins on basic foods such as milk, fruit and meat at a time when prices paid to producers are declining”, stated France's main farm union, the French National Federation of Farmers' Unions (FNSEA).

Farm minister Michel Barnier said this week a new committee charged with monitoring margins along the food chain is ready to publish its first findings -- relating to pork prices -- but the FNSEA says progress has been too slow.

 

“Les Paysans” the country people, are not reticent in making their views heard and the extent of their anger has been evident during the weekend. Plumes of black smoke ascended into the blue June sky emanating from strategically placed bonfires in supermarket car parks. Farmers blocked access to around 40 out of some 60 distribution centres that supply French supermarkets as part of a 48-hour protest. Traffic came to a halt at every roundabout, their route firmly barred by tractors, trailers trucks and other agricultural heavy duty machinery.

 

In general the protests are well organised and take the form of a well planned march culminating in the occasional short term road blockage where leaflets describing the groups grievances are handed out to the delayed traffic. However in recent years the protests in Brittany have to a large part involved the farming union which historically have a very strong base in Brittany. In the years we have lived here we have witnessed some astonishing protests by the farmers us ing any means they have to attract the government’s attention. This is the first of a round of demonstrations (manifestations) that take place in France every year, usually during the summer months to maximise the disruption and therefore initiate responsive action by the Government.

 

Last year they blocked roads with manure and enormous piles of cauliflower, which resulted in the local authority having to spend the weekend collecting the material and arranging for its disposal at considerable cost. One of the most worrying aspects in recent years has been the increase in damage to property during the protests.

 

This year the escalation of action was sparked by the supermarkets declining to discuss with the agricultural unions the price offered for their produce; thus evoking support from other producers, namely pork, poultry, cereal and vegetables. The protests involved the farmers staging a co-ordinated attack on major supermarkets using teams equipped with tractors and trailers carrying old tyres and straw (fuel for barricades). At a pre-arranged time the entranc es to supermarkets were blocked and the tyres and straw set alight to barricade the entrances. The photo shows the view from our house, some 8 kilometres from the first of 5 protest sites in our area.

 

This weekend we witnessed the worrying extension to these protests which no longer aim to put across a message in a peaceful manner but are resorting to vandalism which in any society should be unacceptable. We witnessed the farmers driving over road signs, supermarket advertising signs and ornamental gardens. They set fire to piles of shopping carts and the shelters used to store them.  At one supermarket they used bulldozers to push material they had brought with them in front of store entrances without any regard for the damage caused. A regrettable recourse but the endorser will not be expected to take responsibility for the action.

 

So it was with some amusement after a shopping trip we resigned ourselves to being trapped inside a local supermarket after a bulldozer heaped rub bish against the doors of our point of exit! Fortunately there was another way out but in the car park we were obliged to follow a circuitous route in order to make our escape; all exits blocked by farm vehicles.

 

At this point the obvious question is where were the Police whilst all this was happening? The astonishing answer is the police were watching from a distance in quite large numbers having presumably been alerted to the protest in advance is from our experience the normal response, presumably to ensure public safety but not to intervene unless life is put at risk.

 

Clearly there is a strong cultural reason why there is a different attitude to protest in France going way back into the annals of time and probably with its origins in the revolution. From an observers viewpoint you cannot however wonder at what point legitimate protest becomes criminal action. If one of the protesters decided to set fire to a structure at any other time they would be arrested and charged with arson but if it is part of an organised protest, in some way it is seen as acceptable!

 

We have discussed the protests with some of our French friends and were surprised to find they were equally disturbed by the weekend’s events and little support for the actions of the farming union. They were concerned that this type of behaviour was escalating and would eventually end up with serious conflict with the authorities. They were also very aware that the majority of the damage costs would be passed on to the local tax payer.

 

No judgement should be levied against the farmers for their determined action; ours is not to reason why? This is France and French history holds the explanation. C’est la vie!