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Seven speed cameras vandalised in Nouvelle-Aquitaine
The cameras were covered with tarpaulins bearing the words ‘Tic tac’
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Seven speed cameras in Nouvelle-Aquitaine were covered with tarpaulins on Wednesday night by farmers protesting against inspections on their farms and what they describe as growing administrative pressure.
The cameras, in the Vienne department, included several on the A10 motorway between Poitiers and Châtellerault.
They were covered with material bearing the words “Tic tac”, suggesting a ticking time bomb.
The union shared photos of the action on their Facebook page, which also included a banner placed in Poitiers reading “Our farms are dying!” and “Stop the inspections!”.
“We used this symbolism of covering up the speed cameras to denounce the administrative harassment carried out by the government,” Coordination Rurale 86 said in a Facebook post.
The union also called for “zero inspections” on farms, saying farmers in the department were “at the end of their tether” amid a “deep structural crisis” in agriculture.
“We reaffirm today firmly our refusal of any inspection on our farms,” it said.
The union said it would continue to organise public actions calling for less bureaucracy and greater trust from the authorities.
The action comes amid wider tensions in the French agricultural sector, including over government support following this summer’s heatwave and drought.
Extreme temperatures and water shortages have damaged crops across France, with farmers reporting smaller harvests and losses to crops including apples, vegetables and grapes.
Farmers also faced restrictions on water use during periods of drought, making it harder for them to protect crops during extreme heat.
