The action of Extinction Rebellion turned into a scuffle on Sunday February 27 at the Agricultural Show.
Activists from this environmental civil disobedience movement entered the two-storey stand of the FNSEA (National Federation of Farmers' Unions), dressed in white overalls bearing the words "lobby busters" on the back .
Equipped with small whistles, the activists clashed with members of the FNSEA, some of whom were having lunch, causing some jostling.
They then crouched on the ground, in several small groups, some tied together.
They wanted to denounce the "lobbying" of the agricultural union.
"They have the power over the rental of land, it is because of them that pesticides continue to be used... The FNSEA has its power really everywhere in France", considers an activist.
“They would have to adapt to our new world and help the peasants to live and adapt their agriculture towards ecological agriculture”, abounds another member of Extinction Rebellion.
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The security agents of the Salon de l'Agriculture quickly intervened to unceremoniously dislodge the demonstrators before being joined by the police.
Castigating the accusations of the activists, Jérôme Despey, Secretary General of the FNSEA, condemns a violent action.
“I can understand that not everyone agrees on the ideas, but the aggression we have faced is unacceptable,” he reacted.
According to Extinction Rebellion, several of its members were arrested following the action at the Agricultural Show.