France's protesting farmers continue to encircle Paris waiting for government aid

Farmers are blocking eight motorways leading to Paris and several hundred are driving their tractors towards the capital's food market.

Transcript

00:00 France has told its farmers that any action to block access to Paris' main market for

00:06 fresh food would be crossing a line, as a tractor protest made good on a threat to blockade

00:12 the city for an indefinite period.

00:17 Officers and armoured vehicles stationed at the Rangy's market, as agricultural unions

00:21 prepared to mount a siege on the French capital over an ongoing row over farming regulations,

00:27 pay and taxes.

00:30 Protesting farmers aim to pressure the government over the future of their industry, which has

00:35 been shaken by repercussions of the war in Ukraine.

00:38 "We are also being forced to produce sugarcane, while we are being asked to produce more.

00:46 How can we produce more if we grow it on a smaller surface?"

00:50 "We are being forbidden certain molecules, which are still allowed in Spain or Italy,

00:55 and they are spilling their fruits on France.

00:58 And how do we do it?"

01:00 In Romania, farmers and transport workers have staged a three-day traffic blockade over

01:05 working conditions, starting with demonstrations on the streets of Brasov on Monday.

01:11 As for France's neighbour Belgium, agricultural workers blocked key roads last night, including

01:16 the Brussels highway, causing traffic jams during the morning rush hour.

01:21 (audience laughing)

01:24 (whooshing)