French farmers edge closer to Paris as protests ratchet up pressure on President Macron

abcnews.go.com:

Protests by French farmers are snowballing and creeping closer to Paris, ratcheting up pressure for government measures to protect the influential agricultural sector from foreign competition, red tape, rising costs and poverty-levels of pay

Snowballing protests by French farmers crept closer to Paris on Thursday, with tractors driving in convoys and blocking roads in many regions of the country to ratchet up pressure for government measures to protect the influential agricultural sector from foreign competition, red tape, rising costs and poverty-levels of pay for the worst-off producers.

Traffic-snarling drive-slows, barricades of straw bales, stinky dumps of agricultural waste outside government offices and other demonstrations have rapidly blown up to become the first major crisis for newly appointed Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, installed two weeks ago by President Emmanuel Macron in hopes of injecting new vigor into his administration.

Macron's opponents are seizing on the farmers' demonstrations to bash his government's record ahead of European elections in June. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party is polling strongly, blamed free-trade agreements, imports and bureaucracy for farmers' economic woes.

“The worst enemies of farmers are to be found in this government," she said Thursday.

Roads hit Thursday morning by drive-slows included a highway west of the French capital and seat of power.

“We are getting progressively closer to Paris,” farmer David Lavenant said to broadcaster BFM-TV.

Two agricultural unions called for farmers to converge on highways into the city on Friday to blockade it.

Highway operator Vinci reported blockages on 14 of the motorways that it operates, as well as