This week saw the beginning of revived farmer protests, with more to come in the days ahead and possibly a full showdown in the New Year. The causes do, I think, run deeper than just the EU's Mercosur treaty - which is complicated and actually has benefits for some French farmers - and are centred more on a sense of grievance and feeling misunderstood.
But while their anger is no doubt genuine, there has still been a sense of theatre to these protests. As with many French protests, visuals are important and photos of gallows and mock graves symbolising the 'death of farming' certainly make an impact.
Toulousains seemed supremely unbothered, knowing that blood-curdling threats are as much a part of industrial action as the pre-match 'trash talk' in boxing.
A coffin symbolising the 'death of farming', displayed at the entrance of the Prefecture during a rally called by French farmers union 'Coordination Rural 64', in Pau, southwestern France, on November 19, 2024.
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