French farmers block Champs-Elysees protesting against ban on carcinogenic weedkiller
Farmers in France are protesting against the country’s agricultural policy. They stopped morning traffic in Paris, holding banners such as "Macron is killing farmers."
They're angry about a proposal from the Macron government to ban the controversial pesticide glyphosate, which is considered carcinogenic. The pesticide is used in Monsanto’s RoundUp weed killer.
🔴 EN DIRECT - #Paris: Environ 250 agriculteurs (éleveurs et les céréaliers) défendent le #glyphosate sur les #ChampsElysées." @ClementLanotpic.twitter.com/JM8T1t5hDR
— FranceNews24 (@FranceNews24) 22 сентября 2017 г.
French Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot talked to the protesters. The pesticide ban would be implemented “in a progressive manner — and methodically, not overnight," he said.
According to AP, dozens of armed police were summoned to contain the protest.
Images showed around 250 farmers, lying down on bails of hay as they blocked traffic on Friday.
Opération coup de poing des #Agriculteurs au bas des #Champs élysées, pour dénoncer l'interdiction prochaine du #glyphosate#Parispic.twitter.com/7TE3hxvbdh
— Ulysse Paris (@ulyssepariser) 22 сентября 2017 г.
"Mr. Macron wants to be the world's Mr. Clean, but he is the gravedigger of agriculture," said Frédéric Arnoult, president of Young Farmers union, as quoted by The French edition of The Local.
