Where's the beef?!

Starve Peasants Starve: French Farmers Clash with Police Over Cow Cull in Ariège

Starve Peasants Starve: The Brutal Clash Over France's Lumpy Skin Disease Cow Cull

December 14, 2025

In the quiet village of Les Bordes-sur-Arize in southwestern France's Ariège department, what began as a desperate stand to save a family farm's lifeline escalated into violent confrontations. Hundreds of farmers blockaded a farm to prevent the mandatory slaughter of over 200 Blonde d'Aquitaine cows after a single case of lumpy skin disease (LSD) was detected. Authorities, enforcing EU-mandated total herd culling, deployed gendarmes who used tear gas and stun grenades to break through barricades of tractors, felled trees, and burning hay bales.

The phrase "Starve peasants starve" captures the raw anger many feel toward what they see as heavy-handed state intervention destroying rural livelihoods—wiping out decades of selective breeding for one non-zoonotic virus (LSD poses no risk to humans).

What is Lumpy Skin Disease?

LSD is a viral infection spread by insects, causing skin nodules, fever, and reduced productivity in cattle. Mortality is low, but EU rules require full herd culling in outbreaks to prevent trade bans.

The Breed at Stake: Blonde d'Aquitaine

The affected herd consisted of prized Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle, a robust French beef breed known for excellent meat quality.

Timeline of Events

  • December 9-10, 2025: First LSD case confirmed in Ariège; farmers mobilize and blockade the farm.
  • December 11: Clashes intensify; gendarmes use force to clear protesters.
  • December 12: Herd culled under police escort; protests spread with road blockades (A64, A75).
  • December 13-14: Government announces vaccination of 1 million cattle; blockades and manure-dumping continue.

Farmers from unions like Coordination Rurale and Confédération Paysanne demand vaccination over mass culling, calling the policy devastating for small operations amid broader grievances (e.g., Mercosur trade deal fears).

Further Reading

This incident underscores deepening rural-urban divides and the human cost of sanitary regulations in modern agriculture.

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