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French farmers blockade port of Calais

The Local France
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French farmers blockade port of Calais
French farmers are blockading the Port of Calais Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP

French farmers have blockaded the Port of Calais, disrupting lorries bound for the UK, as part of nationwide protests.

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French farmers on Wednesday began a blockade of the Port of Calais, blocking access to the port for lorries bound for the UK. 

Passenger traffic to the port is currently unaffected, and ferries are departing as normal.

A spokesman for the Port of Calais told French media that demonstrators "are preventing access to the port ring road for all freight, but are allowing tourist vehicles through."

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A spokesman for the local branch of the FNSEA farming union said the blockade would continue until at least 3pm on Wednesday.

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The blockade is one of dozens that have been erected on main roads across France this week, as farmers express their frustration at conflicting government and EU policies which they say make their lives impossible.

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On Wednesday dozens of motorways across the country were blocked, while farmers have also staged rolling roadblocks and demonstrations on city ringroads and in town centres.

The farming unions have vowed to ramp up the pressure through the week, and say they expect action in 85 of France's 96 mainland départements by Friday. 

In northern France the A16 motorway is blockaded at some access points to cross-Channel hubs, but operators say that at this stage there is no disruption to Channel Tunnel traffic. 

 

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