Anger of farmers: on the third day of the occupation of the A9 in Nîmes, “there is inevitably fatigue, but we will go as far as possible”

The president of the FDSEA David Sève at his HQ, below deck, surrounded by his lieutenants. FREE MIDI – MIKAEL ANISSET

François Ruffin in discussion with Beaucair winemaker Gabriel Vialet. FREE MIDI – MIKAEL ANISSET

Structure gonflable, agriculteurs, gendarmes et canapé… Scène baroque sur l'A9. MIDI LIBRE – MIKAEL ANISSET

Farmers, unhappy with the measures announced Friday evening by the Prime Minister, are still holding their positions in Nîmes, on the A9.

On the third day of the occupation of the A9, an inflatable structure with an elephant's head was installed just after the bridge, in the direction of Arles. It's Saturday, the weekend. The children joined their parents. On site, we comment on the events of the day before. The disappointment of Gabriel Attal's announcements, first of all. "He said nothing about wine and I even wonder if he knows his files, on simplification, on controls", breathes Gaby Vialet, historic president of the cooperative cellar of Beaucairois winegrowers. "We needed cash, he talks to us about hedges", complains another.

We also mention nighttime anger, the famous Cobra operation which led to a fire at customs during the evening. And of the Nîmes Olympique match, a ray of sunshine in a dark day with this "victory, thanks to the presence of farmers in the Antonins crowd".

At the end of the morning, while the short circuit sausages from the Mas des agricole and the containers from the Agglo are arriving to empty the bottles sold the day before, a deputy from the Somme climbs over the guardrails to reach the camp. base.

Ruffin: "If we don't regulate, we crush prices. But which is actually crushed ?"

François Ruffin (LFI) is not there to give a speech but to listen. He goes from group to group: wine growers, arborists, breeders… and tries to get an idea of ​​the problems of a territory far from his own. "He there are local particularities, but also a national concern, he notes. François Ruffin's hobby horse ?"Prices, prices, prices. I am in favor of an agricultural exception which means that in effect we remove agriculture from international agreements, that there is the possibility of have customs protections, tariff barriers to regulate. If we don't regulate, we crush prices. But who is actually crushed ? These are the producers, the farmers, the peasants. We must therefore raise prices and provide protection. If we let the market do its thing, we'll die." The speech, inevitably, hits its target, which was not initially necessarily acquired.

Other politicians, not on the same side, are arriving. Franck Proust, the LR president of the Agglo and the senator still LR Laurent Burgoa. "We need concreteness, reactivity, insists Franck Proust, criticizing a speech by Gabriel Attal that is disconnected. People didn't feel concerned. The conflict must not get bogged down."

"I need to come home and change"

What will happen next week ? "it's starting to be difficult, but we will go as far as possible", says Gaby Vialet. "I'll still have to come home and change. Then I'm tired of sleeping here. But then I'll come back, sighs a winegrower from the Rhone Gard. 

President David Sève is aware of entering another phase of the fight: "There is inevitably fatigue. But we won't leave. We will try to take turns here. We are going to get reinforcements from other departments who have broken camp and who told us they were going to join us. Everyone has in their heads the fear that the movement will slide towards violent actions. One more reason to ask the government that the additional answers which must be given this week be much more concrete than those of last Friday.

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