Straw dumped on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. According to a new report communicated by a police source to Agence Radio France, 66 people were arrested on Friday March 1 around Place de l’Etoile, at the top of the Champs-Elysées, in Paris. Farmers from Rural Coordination carried out a surprise action there earlier in the morning. One of the spokespersons for the agricultural union, Patrick Legras, told Agence Radio France that he had been “taken on board by the police”, shortly before 7 a.m.
Around 8 a.m., police cars were still stationed at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe. Calm reigned on the square and the Paris town hall services began to clean the area. Traffic at the top of the famous avenue was still blocked. Follow our live stream.
The A86 and A4 motorways also disrupted. Farmers blocked the A86 and the A4 at Saint-Maurice (Val-de-Marne). At 7:45 a.m., the Sytadin traffic information service recorded 110 km of traffic jams, at the time of the reopening of these motorways.
A need “to dialogue” which does not involve “prohibited actions”, according to Marc Fesneau. Guest of France Bleu Orléans, the Minister of Agriculture stressed that “It’s a demonstration that had not been declared”. For his part, Renaissance MP Marc Ferracci spoke on franceinfo of the links between the agricultural union and the National Rally: “We are not fools.”
A symbolic place. Place de l’Etoile was the scene of violence during the “yellow vest” crisis in 2018. Christian Convers, secretary general of Rural Coordination, contacted by AFP, explained that “the farmers took this detour to go to the tomb of the unknown soldier”. But “They did not have time to go much further since the police immediately intervened and the discussion was cut short.”