France’s interior ministry has ordered increased security measures around Paris as irate farmers threaten to move towards the capital, following an incident where climate activists hurled soup at the protective glass of the “Mona Lisa” painting at the Louvre Museum. The farmers are pushing for the government to address their demands for fair payment for their products, reduced bureaucratic hurdles, and protection from cheap imports. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin held a security meeting to discuss potential road blockades around Paris. He instructed security forces to prevent any blockage of Rungis International Market and Paris airports, as well as to prohibit any farmer convoys from entering the capital. The protests originated in the Lot-et-Garonne region, with farmers from the Rural Coordination union planning to use tractors to head toward the Rungis International Market on Monday. The market supplies much of the fresh food to Paris and its surrounding region. The two largest farmers unions in France stated that their members from areas near Paris would seek to block major roads leading to the capital, aiming to put the city “under siege” starting from Monday afternoon. Earlier, two climate activists threw soup at the glass protecting the “Mona Lisa” and advocated for a sustainable food system. A video posted on social media showed two women with “FOOD RIPOSTE” on their T-shirts passing under a security barrier to get closer to the painting and throwing soup at the protective glass. They shouted slogans about the importance of a healthy and sustainable food system. Following the incident, two people were arrested by Paris police. The group “Food Riposte” criticized the French government for not meeting its climate commitments and called for a health care system equivalent to be established to ensure better access to healthy food and a fair income for farmers. Angry French farmers have been using their tractors to set up road blockades and disrupt traffic across the country, even depositing foul agricultural waste at the gates of government offices. In response, the government announced a series of measures on Friday, which farmers say do not fully address their demands. These measures include “drastically simplifying” certain technical procedures and the gradual end to diesel fuel taxes for farm vehicles. France’s new prime minister, Gabriel Attal, acknowledged the difficulties faced by farmers and the need to find solutions in the short, middle, and long term, as both quality and affordable prices are sought after. The government is also considering “additional” measures to tackle what they term “unfair competition” from other countries with different production rules importing food to France, with plans to make further decisions in the coming weeks.
