French farmers stage protest in Paris to oppose EU-Mercosur trade deal

Tractor protest in city centre comes as Emmanuel Macron confirms he will vote against accord on Friday

French farmers in tractors have blocked roads around the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe in protest at an imminent EU trade deal with South American countries that they say will create unfair competition.

The farmers blockaded motorways outside Paris on Thursday and dozens of tractors overran police checkpoints to reach the city centre in a pre-dawn protest organised by the Coordination Rurale union.