"French farmers continued their blockade outside the National Assembly in Paris through Tuesday night, parking some 350 tractors in a show of protest as the EU is set to sign its trade deal with South America. Footage shows tractor convoys blocking nearby streets, with barrel and street fires lighting the night as farmers camped out with food, drinks and music. Banners attached to tractors read: 'Let's not import what is forbidden in France' and 'the peasant revolt continues.' "We didn't get the answers we were hoping for," said farmer Arnaud, warning that many farms are trapped in a cash-flow crisis. "We need solutions to make access to loans easier." Farmers criticised talks with the government, saying negotiations had not yielded any results. "For the moment, there has been no progress. Nothing has been decided," said Benoit, adding: "If we’re still here, it’s because we feel like we're always being taken for fools." The protest comes after EU member states provisionally approved the signing of the trade deal with the Mercosur, securing the 15-country threshold that represents 65 percent of the EU. France, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Ireland voted against the proposal, while Belgium abstained. "We're not happy with the announcements made by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture," said Pierre. "Negotiations are continuing and, depending on what is said [...] we can decide whether to leave tonight or stay here." Farmers' unions are reportedly demanding 'concrete and immediate action' to protect France's food security, arguing the agreement would expose them to unfair competition from cheaper imports. France, the EU's largest agricultural producer, has seen months of farmer protests over the Mercosur deal and broader grievances, including rising costs and stagnant incomes. While French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly opposed the deal, it is still expected to be signed in Paraguay on Saturday, backed by a majority of EU countries. The agreement will not take immediate effect. It must still be approved by the European Parliament and ratified by Mercosur member states, a process expected to take several months. Negotiated over 25 years, the deal would phase out most tariffs over 15 years, creating a free-trade area encompassing approximately 780 million people."