Anger of farmers: “We have not been heard, we are disappointed”, the Gardois remain mobilized after Gabriel Attal's speech

David Sève appelle les troupes à rester mobilisées. Midi Libre – Mikaël Anisset

Les annonces de Gabriel Attal n'ont pas calmé la colère des agriculteurs gardois mobilisés depuis jeudi sur l'A9.

The Prime Minister's (agricultural) roadmap was not convincing! It is 4:30 p.m., at the base camp of the angry Gard farmers posted on the A9 since last Thursday. "We are very disappointed!, says David Sève, the president of the FDSEA du Gard, on the megaphone at the end of the general policy speech.

Attentive and tired, the farmers listen to Gabriel Attal's speech. Midi Libre – Mikaël Anisset

"Ok, he talked about Occitanie and the crisis in viticulture but what, how much, how ? We won't lift the dam until we have a concrete answer. The mobilization therefore continues and the actions with baroque names – cobra, ninja, rattlesnake – will continue.

Well organized base camp

For a week, life has been organized under the highway bridge, with rotations to sleep there, tables with fruit juices and cubis of wine, the provisions, the old sofa by the fire and the barbecue which sells grilled sausages. 

After the morning actions, the blocking of the roundabouts of the Cap Costière shopping center with tractors and tire fires then, around 2 p.m., the Gallargues roundabout, the tractors returned to the motorway, a nerve center of mobilization. The TV is placed on a bale of straw, where David Sève has set up his HQ.

This Tuesday morning again, he repeated the non-negotiable points for the demonstrators: the margins of   mass distribution, retirement calculation, over-transposition of laws, the Mercosur treaty, access to water, application of the Egalim law, aid ;emergency for viticulture, and assured that nothing had leaked from the meeting between the FNSEA and the Prime Minister. "We're just told to keep the pressure on, he slips.

A hundred farmers listen to the Prime Minister

It is 3 p.m., a hundred farmers crowd in front of the screen, arms crossed, serious faces, tired and attentive looks. Magali Saumade, the president of the Chamber of Agriculture, still hopes for announcements and is worried about the continuation of the movement: "Stay ? Continue ? How to get out of there now ?", she asks.

"The French agricultural exception", launched by Gabriel Attal does not arouse any reaction… And the hubbub of conversations soon covers the Prime Minister's speech which most people do not listen to even though it ends with some more precise proposals on the agricultural world.< /p>

"We're going to toughen up the movement"

"You heard something! I haven't heard anything, quips Anthony Bafoil, the president of the Gard cooperators. Reinforced controls on large-scale distribution, CAP aid paid in March, aid for the installation of young farmers or emergency aid for viticulture have not clearly not received five out of five on the A9! "There are only announcement effects. The mobilization will get tougher, he warns. We won't be able to hold people anymore. People are in agony. I say to the guys who can't take it anymore, go ahead, do what you want…" 

But fatigue is felt when it's time to go back and burn tires…  "We have operations to run , we're also going to have to go home, says a farmer.

"I don't want to end up under the bridges for good!", jokes David Sève, a little bitter to see that the Minister of Agriculture will probably not come. Combative but tired, the farmers decide for the moment not to lift the dam.