A line of 150 tractors, backhoe loaders and trucks paralyzes the quays of Rennes on Thursday January 25. In front of the Brittany prefecture, a few hundred farmers from the Rural Coordination, the second agricultural union, at the initiative of the rally, demonstrate peacefully. Fishermen and public works contractors took part in the mobilization to make people heard “their common anger” towards European standards, international competition and the cost of fuel.
“A convergence of struggles is necessary to be stronger, but it must take place without violence,” insists Nathalie Possemé, president of Rural Coordination in Morbihan. She glances at the fishermen, whose presence is as much appreciated as it is feared. Their last demonstration in Rennes, in March 2023, turned into a confrontation with the police. “We remain calm, but the anger is great and it will explode. The fishing industry is like a wounded animal. We will fight until the end! », warns David Le Quintrec, fisherman in Lorient. This Thursday, the fifty-year-old promises to ” hold ” the hundred or so maritime professionals who accompany him. David Le Quintrec hoped to mobilize more, especially since the ban, introduced Monday January 22 until February 20, for 450 boats to fish in the Bay of Biscay in order to protect cetaceans.
“We are moving towards a movement of revolt where unity must prevail. Today, it is above all a question of making the problems of the agricultural world heard: low incomes, industrial margins, the difficulty of passing on our farms to young people…”, insists Véronique Le Floc’h, national president of Rural Coordination. At the end of her interview with the prefect of Brittany, the activists listen to her attentively, particularly when she accuses the FNSEA, the majority union, and its leader, Arnaud Rousseau, accused of working more for agro-industry than for farmers.
In the crowd, Laurence Colleu, poultry breeder and representative of Rural Coordination in Ille-et-Vilaine, deciphers the charge: “The professional elections take place next year. We need to show farmers that the Rural Coordination is working and that another union choice than the FNSEA is possible. » The farmer observes the crowd and notices the presence of far-right elected officials. She gets annoyed when others are happy about it. Nathalie Possemé puts things into perspective: “Our adversaries are trying to discredit us by labeling us as an organization close to the RN [Rassemblement national]. It’s wrong. Rural Coordination is apolitical. It is the politicians who come to us, and not the other way around. »
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