Farmers' blockade operations: what should we expect this Thursday and Friday on the roads and highways of Occitanie ?

L’A7 bloquée, mercredi, dans le Vaucluse. MAXPPP – Christophe AGOSTINIS

Le trafic routier sera fortement perturbé dans plusieurs départements d’ici à la fin de la semaine.

The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, gave instructions of “great moderation” to the prefects on Wednesday evening, asking them not to involve the police as a "last resort", at a time when the actions of farmers are spreading across France showing signs of hardening.

On Wednesday, the images of the Agen prefecture (Lot-et-Garonne), sprayed with slurry, drowned in the smoke of burning tires, were looped on the TV channels. continuous information.

Numerous actions already recorded on Wednesday from Lozère to Aveyron

But the discomfort of farmers has been expressed almost everywhere in France, with particular resonance in Occitanie, where it has been brewing for several days. Numerous blockages were still in progress on Wednesday on the A64 (Toulouse-Bayonne), the A61 (Toulouse-Narbonne), the A20 (Toulouse-Brive) and the A62 ( Toulouse-Bordeaux).

The peasant unease is also heard in Lozère, where the A75 has been blocked in both directions near Marvejols. Or, in Aveyron, where a blockade was maintained during the day on the RN 88, near the Tanus viaduct, on the Tarn border.

A snail operation was organized, in parallel, in Rodez. The protean actions, diluted on the ground, have multiple repercussions on road traffic.

The town of Bagnols-sur-Cèze partly paralyzed

On Wednesday morning, access to the A7 and A9 motorways was temporarily prohibited by the police in the South/North direction from Remoulins, Avignon North, Orange South, Orange Center and Bollène. While lines of diverted trucks paralyzed the main access points to the town of Bagnols-sur-Cèze.

But this was only a foretaste of the expected disruptions in the region.

What is planned for this Thursday

This Thursday, the A9 will be blocked in Gard near the Nîmes west interchange, from early in the morning. This motorway as well as the A54 should be avoided in both directions during the day.

Click to enlarge M.L.

But the secondary network could also be impacted in this department (RN 106, RN 113, chemin des Canaux, roads to the east, south and west of Nîmes…). The Tango public transport network in the Nîmes metropolitan area also announces "probable disruptions".

Traffic will also be disrupted on the A75, at the same time, near Sévérac-d’Aveyron, where actions are planned.

In Aude, while a large-scale demonstration is planned for the end of the week in Narbonne, the breeders of the Haute Vallée have decided to join the movement this Thursday, expressing their intention to block the Salz bridge, in Couiza, at the risk of cutting off access to this territory.

What is planned this Friday

Friday, the FDSEA, the Young Farmers and the Winegrowers' Union also call on their activists to gather with tractors and trailers, from 9 a.m., at the Perpignan Sud motorway toll booth.

The Peasant Confederation declared a demonstration on the same day, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Boulou toll booth.

But the epicenter of the Languedoc movement will move towards Hérault, where numerous convoys will converge, that day, towards Montpellier. From 9 a.m., it will not be possible to drive on the A9 motorway, as well as on the A750.

Very strong disruptions are to be expected, here too, on the secondary network.

They also join the movement

Anger is growing and spreading to other professions: the Mediterranean Regional Shellfish Committee will join the demonstration this Friday in Montpellier. Manadiers and wine growers should be present. Taxis have also already joined the mobilization in Toulouse and the first secretary of the PCF, Fabien Roussel, calls for the "convergence of struggles".

The FNSEA warning

A disaster scenario for the executive. Will his response be up to the task ? The president of the FNSEA, Arnaud Rousseau, has already announced, Wednesday, on France 2, actions in 85 departments by Friday, the date on which farmers hope that the government will respond to a first series of demands.

Nearly nine out of ten French people support them

They will not be satisfied with a communication exercise from the Prime Minister, he clarified. "Once the fuse is lit, farmers want to see it through to the end. There is no spirit of perspective, warns Arnaud Rousseau.

According to a new Elabe-BFMTV survey published on Wednesday, nearly nine out of ten French people (87%) express their support or sympathy in the face of this growing mobilization of farmers.