Following earlier highway blockades, dozens of tractors from Coordination rurale, Confédération paysanne, and Jeunes agriculteurs blocked the A61 near Carcassonne on December 17, protesting DNC herd culling and the Mercosur deal. Demonstrators dismantled barriers and barbecued as the government ramps up vaccination for 750,000 cattle, while France and Italy resist immediate EU-Mercosur signing.
On December 17, 2025, farmers from Aude escalated their protests by blocking both directions of the A61 highway near Carcassonne—linking Toulouse to the Mediterranean and Spain—with union flags and barbecues. This follows South-West blockades on December 13, including the A64, amid outrage over mandatory slaughter of DNC-affected herds, a viral cattle disease (non-transmissible to humans) detected in June, leading to nearly 3,000 euthanasias.
Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard expanded the vaccination drive to 750,000 cattle across ten southwestern departments, enlisting retired, student, and military vets. Prefect Jean-Marie Girier called it 'a race against time.' Unions demand nationwide vaccination and an end to total culls, citing eroded trust.
Protests also target the EU-Mercosur deal as unfair competition. President Macron vowed to 'firmly oppose' rushed signing, echoed by Italy's Giorgia Meloni as 'premature,' against Brazil's Lula's ultimatum. The day saw 75 actions nationwide, including rail blocks and demos in Strasbourg and Brussels.
