The attack on a grain train by activists hostile to what they call “agro-industry” on March 19 in Brittany, France has sparked outrage.
The operation, which targeted a train of soybeans destined for an animal feed company, resulted in the waste of nearly 1,500 tons of wheat intended for the chickens at a cooperative.
In recent months, actions targeting the agricultural world and its practices have multiplied.
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“We note an intensification of actions everywhere in France,” notes Arnaud Rousseau, vice-president of the FNSEA, the main agricultural union [in France]. “The legal response has so far been almost nil. The self-proclaimed whistleblowers are feeling their wings grow. For them, radicalism is an effective means of stopping the development of what they call ‘industrial agriculture’,” an avatar of the capitalism they want to bring down. Violent struggle is a valued reference.
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“It is always complicated to talk about radicalization,” notes Eddy Fougier, a political scientist specializing in anti-globalism and protest movements. But what is certain is that we now see movements that are not interested in agriculture making it a new entry point to emphasize their favorite issues, such as the climate or anti-capitalism.
[Editor’s note: This article was originally published in French and has been translated and edited for clarity.]
