About 100 Confédération paysanne militants forced entry into a Ministry of Agriculture annex in Paris on Wednesday, occupying it for an hour to protest government policy. Fifty were placed in custody for public order disturbances and offenses. The action comes amid a declining farmers' mobilization following the Prime Minister's announcements.
On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, around 4 p.m., about 100 farmers from the Confédération paysanne gathered near the Ministry of Agriculture entrance in Paris's 7th arrondissement. They unfurled a banner reading: 'L’agriculture, on veut en vivre, pas en mourir.' The militants then entered the outer grounds of an annex, the direction générale de la performance économique, without authorization and occupied it for an hour.
This punch operation aimed to denounce the government's 'mépris' toward peasants, the co-management between the FNSEA and the ministry, and the capture of public subsidies by a small number of farms and agro-industrial groups. Farmers from Overseas were present to express solidarity and demand 'décolonisation de l’agriculture.' Fanny Métrat, national spokesperson for the Confédération paysanne, stated: 'We denounce the co-management between the FNSEA and the Ministry of Agriculture, which results in differential treatment between agricultural unions.'
The Paris police prefecture reported that these acts constituted 'a serious public order disturbance and several offenses.' Law enforcement evacuated the site, arresting 50 people who were placed in custody. The Confédération mentions 52 custodies, including its three national spokespersons and the president of the Guyane chamber of agriculture. A ministry representative filed a complaint. The union called for a rally in front of the 18th arrondissement commissariat to protest this 'constant mépris.'
Despite new measures announced Tuesday by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu in favor of farmers, national mobilization eased in intensity on Wednesday, with sporadic road blockades and actions planned for Thursday. The ministry acknowledges the legitimacy of the anger but believes its announcements since December address various demands.
