Farmers demonstrations?

[mogs]

I went shopping today at our local Lidl and Carrefour, to find that both shops had been dumped on. By this I mean loads of manure, hay, rubbish and old tyres across the car parks. Lidl had industrial cleaners in to wash off the car park.

Apparently it was a nationwide demonstration about the supermarkets marking up prices and making bigger profits than the farmers

Did anyone else have this problem today?.

[woolybanana]

Nothing like the smell of shyte to go with the shopping; these farmers wanty a better part of the cake, but they are small and not, apparently, savvy at marketing.

So, supermatkets take advantage.

No sympathy for the peasant farmer with 50 cows unless he offers beef or pork or whatever with taste and value.

[Val_2]

All over the region here in Bretagne. Lidl Quimper attacked too!

[idun]

I must say that I do feel for the farmers in France and the UK.

So much for the common agricultural policy......... the madness of wine lakes and butter mountains, and now we have farmers who cannot get proper prices for their products.

In fact the whole thing is mad these days. I'm sure that we'll all be screaming blue murder when milk is 6€ a litre and equivalent in £'s or more...... because most of the dairies could no longer afford to keep their cows.

It'll be the same with meat too, very very expensive and a treat and not something for every day for most of the population.

 

[andyh4]

Nothing in our part of the deepest Ardeche, but then our Super U makes a big thing of sourcing fruit, veg meats and cured meats locally and names the suppliers.

Farmers attacking them would be a bit like peeing in your own bed.

This of course does not mean that they necessarily get wonderful prices and Idun's point is well made that a sustainable farming industry needs to be able to get higher prices than we generally pay.

[vivienz]

We were over at St Jacut the week before last and our local Carrefour at Ploubalay had all its trolleys set fire to with the aid of tyres and fire accelerants (I think petrol or something similar), and the glass doors were smashed, too, by pig farmers.  The same happened at Lanvallay.  The Carrefour at Ploubalay also makes a big deal of sourcing/selling local produce, but the manager of the shop pointed out that if consumers chose not to buy those specific products, there wasn't much he could do about it as is was their choice.  Whilst I have some sympathies for farmers, I don't think that this type of protest increases my sympathies.

[andyh4]

I do agree with you that such actions do not create any empathy from me either, however I think that demonstrates a very Anglo-Saxon view on things.

Such actions of disruption and (petty) vandalism seem to be tolerated or even encouraged by the French. Is this a throw back to the Revolution and a means of demonstrating to those in power, that real strength lies elsewhere??

In the one case where I have been directly involved, strikers closed the factory gates and welded them shut, built the obligatory fire of pallets and tyres at every entrance, picketed secondary independent companies, operated an "escargot" protest on the A7 into the local city and blocked the main rail line to Paris for 6 hours. So major disruption not just for the company involved, but also for other companies and for the general public.

And the reaction? Letters to Le Monde or Figaro from disgusted of Fontainebleau? Not a bit of it.

Commentary was at best (form a management viewpoint) neutral and at worst supporting the strikers against the dastardly management who were just out to stuff the workers.

So yes, from our history and psyche, I agree, the farmers do themselves no benefit from such actions; but from a French perspective, I think things are viewed very differently.

[Patf]

Last year there were a few demos here involving dumping of manure at council offices but that was in protest against the EU ban on putting manure on the fields. because of the nitrate going into water courses.

It did work up to a point because the EU relented temporarily.

As Andy says, the french seem to tolerate this kind of demo.

[idun]

andy4h, you are right, we must not forget the way the french look at these things. I cannot remember hearing anything too radical about what should happen to what I consider vandals. There usually seemed a deep rooted acceptance, that there was a sort of 'right' to do such things and to hell with it.

[Lehaut]

Roundabouts near us had the pyres built. Whilst I too do have some sympathy with their situation (somewhat brought about by over production is some areas perhaps), I have great difficulty with the double standard "enjoyed" by group vandalism which is condoned by the force de l'ordres who seem to do nothing about the illegal burning of tyres etc. You cannot hide a convoy of 12 tractors setting off to do this sort of damage.

Also, the astonishingly violent protest in Paris against the Uber users, I thought I was watching a war zone! The police were in evidence, but did little to prevent it.

Would similar "tolerance" be afforded to me if I set tyres alight at the local Hotel des Impots against a rise in taxes/charges?

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Nothing like the smell of shyte to go with the shopping; these farmers wanty a better part of the cake, but they are small and not, apparently, savvy at marketing.

So, supermatkets take advantage.

No sympathy for the peasant farmer with 50 cows unless he offers beef or pork or whatever with taste and value.[/quote]

Several years back, after visiting farms on a 'Ferme en Ferme' day we decided to buy as much of our meet direct from the farmer and since then we get all of our beef and lamb delivered from two of them in the Mountagne Noire. It may be a bit more expensive, but it's cut as we wish, delivered to the door and delicious. The farmers are delightful people. They phone to tell us when the deliveries will be, the choice and cuts are decided and we always have a chat before they are off again.

If there's one where you are then vote with your feet and stuff the supermarkets for once.

[Jonzjob]

I have just had a gander at that site and it may not be correct? It doesn't show anything in the Aude, but there are at least 3 seperate days here.

[Val_2]

Its a regular occurance here and not a month or two goes by without piles of produce dumped usually in front of the Tresor Public offices, the Impôts and the Banks. Also on the dual carriageway where it is burned. The gendarmes just watch,they know to interfere would inflame the situation and no one gets hurts. The last big dump was hundreds of tons of shallots which were eventually scraped up and placed in huge piles by the quarry on the road to town. People were arriving in hoardes to take them including our Parisien friend who though he had a bargain. Little do many of these people know, the produce is doused with diesel or petrol to stop people selling it on and it can be quickly set alight if they want to. I had a call from a neighbour warning me not to touch any of the shallots as his BIL had thrown diesel over a big pile during the demo but our friend from Paris would not have it and cooked and ate them, even offering me some which I refused point blank. So, if you are ever on the road to the Roscoff ferry and see piles of produce on the roadside, do not be tempted to stop and take it.

[Patf]

[quote user="idun"]andy4h, you are right, we must not forget the way the french look at these things. I cannot remember hearing anything too radical about what should happen to what I consider vandals. There usually seemed a deep rooted acceptance, that there was a sort of 'right' to do such things and to hell with it.

[/quote]

Maybe it follows from the old French Revolution attitude, still persisting.

Did you see the recent survey of the French definition and attitude towards "rich" people?  It said the French don't like to boast if they're well off - frightened of getting their heads chopped off  [:)]

[mint]

I love your story, Pat, and it amused me hugely.

Also, let me tell you a little story that's puzzled me for years[:)] and which your post might explain.

About a month after we first moved to France, OH went to his table tennis club, speaking about 2 French phrases, and was enthusiastically invited to someone's home.

He had the address and little else though he might have been given a description that he wouldn't have understood.  To be sure that we knew where J-P's house was, we took a little ride into town in order that we would know where to go on the appointed day.

We located this large but nothing-special about its frontage house on a quiet road in town that was opposite the salle and near a primary school.  OH said his friend must live "above that garage" that we could clearly see from the car.  He was adamant that his new-found friend was a chap of modest means and drove an ordinary sort of French car and was most friendly.

So, on the right day, we went to visit, taking some small gift for madame whom we were meeting for the first time and, as we headed for the garage, J-P came bursting out of his front door and ushered us into his hallway.  Our jaws must have dropped several centimetres, the hallway was magnificent, full of marble statuary, paintings and furniture which looked like heirlooms.

The huge surprise continued.  Each and every room, down to the "garden room" was filled with wondrous ancient furniture, paintings, works of art, tapestries, etc etc etc.  We gaped at everything and then were shown into the dining room where we sat gingerly on very expensive -looking chairs and were offered "tea".  Then the daughter was summoned to meet us and exchange some conversation.

I won't describe it here in case it inflames some, there was also a lot of errotica in all the rooms.  Turns out the owner was a collector of such artifacts and, being French, it was apparently nothing unusual or nudge-nudge about his passion and Mrs was as proud of the material as husband.

Subsequently, they became very good friends and visited us only last year to see how OH was after his illness and bringing a HUGE tarte aux pommes baked by madame.

[Patf]

That must have been an eye-opener Mint  [:D]

The report I quoted was in the Depeche du Midi and it was there that they said the French try to hide their wealth (whereas the Americans and British tend to boast about it.) Then they went on to say about the influence of the Revolution, finishing,  tongue in cheek, about heads chopped off.

[Jonzjob]

Not so tongue in cheek a couple of hundred years back though.

More like tongue on ground with said head[:-))][:-))]