On Saturday, French farmers declared their intention to persist with their protests, keeping road blockades in place on several important routes throughout the country. This comes after the government’s recent announcement of various actions, which the farmers argue do not fully meet their requests.

Protesting farmers are demanding fair compensation for their crops, reduced bureaucracy, and safeguards against inexpensive imports. Their movement has gained momentum nationwide, as they utilize their tractors to block roads and disrupt traffic.

The government offices have been littered with foul-smelling agricultural waste.

On Saturday, certain barricades were slowly being removed. However, the A7, a significant highway that runs through southern France and into Spain, remained closed according to Vinci Autoroutes, the highway’s operator. Additionally, some other roads in the south of France were partially closed.

Vinci Autoroutes reported that the roadblocks on two highways heading towards Paris have been lifted. The route from Lyon in the east of France to Bordeaux in the southwest also resumed operations on Saturday, according to a statement from the company.

A group of angry demonstrators intended to escalate their efforts in the upcoming week by threatening to disrupt traffic in Paris for multiple days, beginning on Sunday evening.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s newly appointed prime minister, Gabriel Attal, declared a set of actions on Friday while touring a livestock farm in the south of France. He stated that these measures would involve streamlining certain technical processes and gradually phasing out diesel fuel taxes for agricultural vehicles.

Attal reaffirmed that France will continue to reject the European Union’s agreement to a free trade deal with the Mercosur trade group, citing concerns from French farmers about unequal competition from Latin American nations. This deal has been in talks for several years.

After Attal’s declaration, the two main farmers’ unions in France promptly declared their intention to prolong the protests, arguing that the government’s proposal is insufficient.

The demonstrations in France are indicative of dissatisfaction in the agricultural regions throughout the European Union. This influential and highly subsidized industry has become a contentious topic leading up to the European Parliament elections in June. Populist and far-right parties are looking to capitalize on rural dissatisfaction with free trade deals, increased expenses due to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, and other grievances.

In the past few weeks, there have been demonstrations by farmers in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Romania.