Paris is slowly being surrounded.
From different directions, the farmers are heading towards the French capital, bringing their anger to the heart of the nation.
Eight hundred urns surround the city.
Since these protests broke out, they have happened, from a Parisian point of view, in other places, to other people.
Highways in most parts of the country may have stopped, but not here. Not yet.
Farmers set up roadblocks in eight locations around Paris
Tractors and other vehicles line the A16. Photo: Reuters
Although farmers' anger may resonate loudly in those vast areas of France where agriculture remains central to daily life, this has not happened much in the past. Paris.
This extraordinary city, like London or New York, has limitless urban problems. It takes a lot of Parisians to start worrying about French farmers.
But now that will definitely change. As tractors and other agricultural vehicles noisily make their way toward the capital, Paris is worried.
Farmers install straw bales on a highway near Paris's main airport near Roissy-en-France, north of Paris. Photo: AP
Could Paris be “starved” by the protests?
Protest organizers have identified eight “choke points” that they are using to disrupt the flow of traffic.
The idea is, depending on who you believe, to either cause enough disruption to focus the minds of millions across the city, or, more bluntly, to “starve” the population.
The specter of famine is of course exaggerated, but even the government agency itself, ADEM, estimated that Paris had only three days' food supplies, should it be cut off.
Farmers protest in Paris: Our end will be your hunger.”
Exaggeration is as much a part of this protest as any other. But the speech, backed by the sight of hundreds of tractors driving down major highways toward Paris, certainly attracted attention.
Aware of the demonstrators' plans to surround Paris, the government summoned 15,000 police officers. This is not only to restrain the farmers, but also to reassure the tense city.
The government holds an emergency meeting of ministers. Tensions are high.
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Why do farmers block roads in France?
Giant fresh food market 'is the target'
And so we find ourselves standing outside Rungis International Market, a very large complex dedicated to selling fresh foods.
This is the largest produce market in Europe – and the second largest wholesale food market in the world. It is now protected by armored police vehicles.
The market is a controversial focus of farmers' protests.
Some believe they should be left alone, as they are considered key to their prosperity.
Farmers drive their tractors to Paris. Photo: AP
But others assert that the only way Paris will understand the value of its agricultural community is to deprive it of their products.
“The Rungis market is the target,” said Veronique Le Floquet, president of Coordination Rural, an agricultural workers' union.
Read more:
A woman sitting on a haystack was killed after a car crashed into a farmer's roadblock protest
Farmers gather for a barbecue as they block a highway in Argenteuil, north of Paris. Pic: AP
Nothing is left to chance
Armored vehicles stand outside the front entrance of the market, dark blue and looming.
Each has a turret capable of firing grenades and even bullets. It is made of thick, uncompromising metal. There is nothing nice about this.
Around them were arranged CRS trucks, the French riot police familiar from many protests over the years.
Not far away, a water cannon was stopped. Not much is left to chance here.
Armored police cars near international market. Photo: Reuters
So far, the police response to this growing protest movement has been conciliatory. The blockade was tolerated, and obstruction was accepted.
But the simple truth is that what is accepted in the provinces will not be tolerated on the streets of Paris.
The specter of the French capital being held hostage for ransom is politically unacceptable.
Gabriel Attal, the 34-year-old prime minister who had just At work for a few weeksHe is already facing his first leadership crisis.
But while politicians and police consider a response, the tractors surge forward.
They have already set up roadblocks on major highways in and out of Paris. There are more farmers on the way.
