French President Emmanuel Macron was greeted with boos and whistles at the opening of the Paris Agricultural Fair on Saturday by angry farmers who blame him for not doing enough to support them.

Macron was scheduled to visit the event, which draws crowds of visitors every year. But before the official opening, several dozen protesters forced their way through security barriers and entered the site as the President was arriving.

Farmers have been protesting for months across France, including Paris, to demand better living conditions, simpler regulations and better protection against foreign competition they see as unfair.

Police in full riot gear were deployed at the Paris Agricultural Fair to prevent them from getting close to Macron, who had a planned meeting with the heads of France’s main farmers’ unions.

Meanwhile, protesters chanted slogans calling for Macron to “resign” and blew whistles to show their anger.

“We won’t be able to respond to the farming crisis in a few hours,” Macron said. “It has taken months, years of work for those who came here to present their cattle, their work...This fair must go well and calmly.”

Three weeks ago, farmers lifted roadblocks around Paris and elsewhere around the country after the government offered more than €400 million in aid and tax breaks. “Anger can be expressed,” Macron said, warning against any “violence”. Macron decided to meet groups of protesters in a separate room. He promised “floor prices” would be established for each product to “guarantee farmers’ income”.

AP/PTI