French Farmers Block Roads to Paris

Edited by Juan Leandro
2013-11-21 13:39:42

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Paris, November 21 (RHC)-- Farmers in France blocked roads to the capital in protest against tax hikes in the European country. On Thursday, protesting farmers took their tractors and blocked highways to Paris.

Anti-tax protests have been staged across France in the past weeks, especially over a plan for a new levy on road freight. Farm and food sector trade unions are against the new levy and say the tax hikes will cost thousands of jobs.

The angry farmers say they are tired of what they call “over-taxation,” which includes the so-called eco-tax on road freight and a planned increase in the value-added tax due to be launched on January 1st. Many local cereal growers also dismissed a decision by the administration of President Francois Hollande to focus the European Union subsidies and other aid on poorer livestock farmers.

Meanwhile, France's Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier has called for the ”immediate lifting” of the protest blockade. However, union representative Christophe Lerebour said, “We are here to show our government that we won't accept these policies anymore, which are decimating an entire sector.”

The French president's approval rating has hit record low, as people in France are furious at the high unemployment rate and a number of other issues including immigration.



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