"French farmers staged a protest in the southern town of Aubagne on Friday to denounce the EU-Mercosur trade agreement amid its one-month delay. Footage shows protesters driving flocks of sheep through the streets, burning tyres, and marching with French flags. Tractors can also be seen blocking roads during the demonstration. "The principle of these free trade agreements is to lower customs duties. We sell cars, we import meat in exchange, and that means much larger quantities could enter than before," a spokesperson for the Peasant Confederation said, warning that the EU-Mercosur agreement could have serious consequences for rural farming. Asked whether the European Union had betrayed farmers, a local farmer taking part in the demonstration answered briefly: "Yes — not just French farmers, but European farmers." "We were promised a united Europe that would be good for all its people," he said. "Instead, it is creating division by making Europeans compete against each other for work." The EU-Mercosur trade agreement, which aims to reduce tariffs between the EU and South American nations, has faced strong opposition from farming unions across Europe. Its approval was recently postponed until January. The protests also come amid wider unrest among French farmers over a mass cull of cattle to contain the spread of lumpy skin disease, with unions demanding better crisis management and widespread vaccination. The French government has warned against road blockades ahead of the holiday period."