8,000 protesters on their feet against pesticides, mass protest erupts near the Syngenta plant in France

About 8,000 people gathered in France in a protest against the use of pesticides in agriculture. The rally was held in Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne, near a plant of the Syngenta company, a producer of seeds and plant protection products.

According to estimates by the local prefecture, about 8,000 citizens took part in the protest. The demonstration was supported by around 50 organizations, including non-governmental associations and one of the main agricultural unions in France.

Objections to pesticide policies

The protesters expressed their opposition to the use of pesticides and criticized some of the legal measures adopted or proposed in France and at the European level.

At the focus of the protest were also the provisions of the emergency law for agriculture, as well as European proposals related to the use and regulation of pesticides.

Banners with anti-pesticide messages were seen in the protesters’ hands, while some of the slogans were: “No pesticides here, or anywhere else” and “The world of tomorrow begins on our plates.”

Activists of the “Uprising for the Earth” movement stated that the protest is part of a wider campaign. According to them, other rallies are expected to be held in Switzerland and England as well.