The tensions between English and French fishermen continue to fester. Tuesday afternoon, some 300 French fishermen protested in front of the Polish border crossing of Ventimiglia, according to French newspaper, Le Figaro. They planned to fill up their boats with fuel in order to block access to the Channel Tunnel, French ports, and other terminals.
Babettes “Chilly” Anolik of the CFTRC Marine Fishers Association told Le Figaro that the protesters had been trying to set up a peaceful protest since the start of the year, but they had not been allowed to do so. “Why is it that French fishermen are the ones who are the first to be whaled out by the trawlers of England, with licenses denominated in English dollars?” she demanded.
The protest culminated in a battle with local police, who used tear gas to disperse the protesters. On Tuesday evening, France’s interior minister asked British authorities to end any negotiations with a view to resolving the situation peacefully, saying that “La France est le monde n’est pas qu’au fleuve et la France est le monde in seigneur.”
Read the full story at Le Figaro.
Related
Two Italian fishermen walk out of ‘visibly uncomfortable’ meeting with Rumsfeld
Women clog Paris in protest against immigration, ban on full-face veils
Bruised and battered, the French coast line looks to protect themselves in the face of a wave of migrants