Not in the sense of actually succeeding – we really don’t need another Les Miserables.
Hundreds of tractors laid siege to Paris on Monday as farmers furious at French and European rules said they intended to “starve Parisians”.
Long lines of tractors blocked motorways at eight entry points to the city as one militant union promised to take control of the world’s biggest fresh food market.
“[Blockading Paris] will happen naturally. Parisians are going to be hungry. The goal is to starve Parisians. That’s it”, said Benoît Durand, a grain farmer.
But you’re going to need luck to achieve that. Sure, cities depend upon food supplies. But I tend to think there are more than 8 entry points. At least, more than 8 viable ones.
They’ve got to do something, and this is something. More power to their coudes.
If they were really all together in this they might be better finding out which wholesalers supply the kitchens of the parliament, the presidential palaces, and the fifty restaurants which are most patronised by the political and bureaucratic scum of Paris, France and the EU, and boycott them.
As fires raged, Soft Cell’s UK hit “Tainted Love” and Madness’ “One Step Beyond” blasted over the farmers’ sound system as they chomped on beef burgers
Sounds ok.
What Interested said! Keep the public fed, and they’ll be on your side.
Why do farmland owners get cheaper diesel than the rest of the French?
Very likely some corruption in that, and an incentive to exaggerate fuel use.
I think it’s the same argument as Red Diesel in the UK. Tractors don’t spend much time on roads so don’t pay the tax that notionally gets spent on roads.
“I think it’s the same argument as Red Diesel in the UK. Tractors don’t spend much time on roads so don’t pay the tax that notionally gets spent on roads.”
Except the State has completely stomped on that principle, because it now taxes the fuel used by just about every non-farming and non-forestry commercial vehicle. Construction equipment, boats, domestic horticultural equipment, all must use fully taxed (‘white’) diesel, despite none of them ever going on roads at all. It was another tax grab by our current PM while Chancellor. Except of course they exempted golf courses from having to use white, presumably because Tory MPs didn’t fancy their memberships going up…….
But you’re going to need luck to achieve that. But I tend to think there are more than 8 entry points. At least, more than 8 viable ones.
Knowing the Peripherique, blocking 8 will be more than enough to make it solid traffic jams all the way round rather than solid traffic jams with the occasional slow moving stretches. Paris is no different to London. Block one route & traffic diverting to the alternatives overload them. I can recall being in Bordeaux at the time of the truckers protest. A few roads blocked & the city was entirely gridlocked. Popular protest that one. Quite a carnival atmosphere. Bordeaulais bringing out food & drink for the truckers. Impromptu parties with musicians & dancing. I’d suspect the farmers one’s going to be popular as well. There’s Parisians will put up with a lot to fuck the government.
Blooming Nora: the things you learn on the internet when googling roads in France.
Network size in km, paved
France * 1,053,215
Spain * 683,175
Germany * 644,480
Sweden * 573,134
Italy * 487,700
Finland * 454,000
United Kingdom * 424,129
At first glance you think France must have a lot of empty roads compared to the others. Then divide by the population and they have about 14 metres each.
“France must have a lot of empty roads compared to the others.”
It does, in my experience,in France it is possible to drive for hours and rarely encounter other traffic.
These people might find that a not-small percentage of Paris *isn’t French* anymore and they come from violent countries. And they have machine guns. And the French cops are afraid of them.