French traders blockade airport

PARIS, France -- Cattle traders have blocked access to an airport in Clermont-Ferrand in a protest at the cost of foot-and-mouth disease.

Their protests mirror earlier blockades in Lyon on Monday and Toulouse on Tuesday over tough restrictions on the movement of animals.

France introduced tough restrictions on the movement of animals after two cases of foot-and-mouth were found in the north of the country last month, although these curbs are gradually being lifted.

In Clermont about 20 trucks were parked across access roads to bar all vehicles from entering the airport and small protests were also staged in the city centre.

"All public vehicle access to the airport is blocked but air traffic is functioning normally now," an airport spokesman said, adding that flights were leaving as scheduled.

Passengers were allowed to enter the airport on foot.

Lyon's Saint-Exupery international airport was forced to cancel a third of morning flight departures on Monday after 400 cattle traders set up road blocks that lasted until late in the evening.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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April 7, 2001

Clermont County Airport
Aéroport de Lyon-Saint Exupéry
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Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Home Page
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