Farmers drive tractors into Paris to protest against the Mercosur agreement

French farmers drove tractors into Paris on Thursday morning to express their opposition to a free trade agreement which they fear will lead to unfair competition.

Dozens of tractors arrived before dawn and drove through Paris, some reaching the Eiffel Tower, others the Arc de Triomphe. "We said we would come to Paris – here we are “, – said Ludovic Ducloux, one of the leaders of the union's chapters.

One of the tractors bore the words „MERCOSUR – no“, referring to the free trade agreement with four South American countries.

The agreement between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur would create the world's largest free trade area and help the 27-nation bloc export more vehicles, machinery, wines and spirits to Latin America.

But farmers fear they will be outcompeted by the flow of cheaper goods from agricultural giant Brazil and its neighbours. The French government will not stand by and will not allow illegal actions as farmers flock to the capital by tractor to protest, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.

Blocking a highway or „trying to gather in front of the National Assembly with all the symbolism that entails is again illegal“, Maud Bregeon told radio „France Info“. She added that the government would not allow it.

Bertrand Venteau, president of the Confederation of Rural Confederation, told the AFP news agency that the farmers intend to protest peacefully in emblematic places in Paris, even if it means they end up in police custody.

At another protest near the south-western city of Bordeaux, around 40 farmers' vehicles blocked the entrance to a fuel depot, according to local authorities.

In addition to the trade agreement, farmers were also angered by the government's decision to cull cows because of the spread of nodular dermatitis. At the end of last month, President Emmanuel Macron met with farmers to discuss the trade pact and the culling of cattle.

In previous protests, farmers blocked roads, sprayed manure and threw rubbish outside government offices to force the government to review its policies.

In Belgium, farmers have also staged mass protests against the trade deal, with around 1,000 tractors entering Brussels in December.