Farmers’ anger: “No reason justifies the damage”, says JA President

“No reason justifies harm or violence. “This Friday morning, the president of the Young Farmers organization, Arnaud Guyot, calmly reminded into the microphone of Sud Radio that mobilization can only achieve its goals in a calm state. He was particularly questioned about the latest excesses that took place against the backdrop of growing anger among farmers, especially in front of the Agen prefecture, where manure, tires and straw were dumped.

Don’t give in to violence

Demonstrators attacking symbols of the state, businesses, supermarkets… Arnaud Guyot wanted to disassociate himself from these actions, which he attributes to the desperation of farmers: “Unfortunately, at the moment we also have farmers who are in despair (…) this is also for our leaders it’s difficult to control them,” he says.

The Young Farmers president also recalls that his organization “has always been very clear, and we have repeated this to our members: mobilizations (must be done) with respect for property and people.” According to him, what happened in the McDonald’s restaurant or in front of the Système U purchasing center was not the work of members of the Young Farmers organization. “This is not the scope of our unions,” he defends.

Risks of new overflows

The police did not interfere with the demonstrators at this stage, said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who assessed on Thursday evening on TF1 that the farmers did not attack police or gendarmes or set fire to public buildings.

Asked whether the government had been particularly lenient towards them, Arnaud Guyot said the demonstration had been going on “since October”, referring to the rearrangement of signs at the entrance to villages and towns. “I wish someone could tell me how many policemen were injured after the farmers’ demonstrations,” he claims.

This Friday, the executive branch is balancing and preparing to make a series of statements in response to the anger of farmers. Depending on the measures that Gabriel Attal will present together with the ministries of ecological transition, agriculture and economy, the mobilization could regress or intensify.

“We must not end up in a rotten situation, the government must not send a signal that it is disinterested or that it does not accept its responsibilities,” warns Arnaud Guyot.