Latest news with #PierreRichard
Extra.ie
09-08-2025
- Extra.ie
Farmer who took on illegal campers in viral video speaks out
The French farmer who sprayed illegal campers with slurry has been defending his actions in the media today. Dairy farmer Pierre Richard, who has a fifth-generation farm in the Northeast of France, says he was forced to spray liquid manure on the campers after they broke into and parked up on his land and after police allegedly refused to take action to clear the illegal settlement. Up to 250 caravans, believed to be travellers who were heading for a religious festival, arrived on Mr Richards' field near the village of Le Syndicat in the Vosges region of northeastern France earlier this week, reportedly without permission. French farmer spreading slurry on his field in reaction to illegal campers. Pic: X Speaking to the Daily Mail, 37-year-old Pierre said: 'They preferred to stay here on my land. It's a beautiful place, in the mountains, next to a river, and with fresh green grass. 'They arrived at about 8pm on a Sunday night. When I heard they were there, I went down there, but it was too late. 'They had broken through the barriers and set up camp, hundreds of them. Pic: X 'The following day I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do.' Two days after the campers broke into his land, Pierre decided to take matters into his own hands and spray the area 'to make sure no more of them would come.' Drone footage shows the action-packed scene when Pierre and his team approach the campsite, with the farmers insisting they stayed 'a minimum of 10 metres from the caravans.' Pierre said: 'The campers chased us and attacked us in our cabs,' claiming that they broke one of his wing mirrors during the clash. Pic: X In France, communities with more than 5,000 residents must provide travellers with a halting site, and there was a dedicated site in the area. However, the squatters insisted that the nearby site was too small for their 250-caravan convoy, according to local reports. 🇫🇷 #France, Bourg-en-Bresse. After not receiving any help from the police, French farmers decided to take matters into their own hands to get rid of an illegal gypsy camp that had set up on their land. The farmers are spraying liquid manure (slurry) from their tanks to make the…
Metro
09-08-2025
- Metro
Farmer who sprayed manure on hundreds of squatting campers speaks out
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A furious farmer who showered hundreds of campers with smelly fertiliser after they set up on his field in France has defended his actions. Fifth-generation dairy farmer Pierre Richard says he was forced to spray liquid manure on the campers after police allegedly refused to take action to clear the illegal settlement. Up to 250 caravans, thought to be from the traveller community heading to a religious festival, arrived on a field near the village of Le Syndicat in the Vosges region in northeastern France owned by Pierre and his family, reportedly without permission. The farmer, 37, claimed that the people had refused to set up at an empty travellers site nearby and instead had 'broken through the barriers and set up camp, hundreds of them.' He told the Daily Mail: 'They preferred to stay here on my land. It's a beautiful place, in the mountains, next to a river, and with fresh green grass. 'They arrived at about 8pm on a Sunday night. When I heard they were there I went down there, but it was too late. 'They had broken through the barriers and set up camp, hundreds of them. 'The following day I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do.' Two days after the campers broke entry, Pierre decided to take matters into his own hands and spray the area 'to make sure no more of them would come.' It is not known whether the man tried to speak to any of the squatters before the clash on July 8. Dramatic footage shows the moment Pierre and his team approach the campsite, with Pierre insisting they stayed 'a minimum of 10 metres from the caravans.' He said the campers 'chased us and attacked us in our cabs,' claiming that they broke one of his wing mirrors during the clash. In France, communities with more than 5,000 residents must provide a traveller site, and there was a dedicated site in the area. However, the squatters insisted that the nearby site was too small for their 250-caravan convoy, according to local reports. Frustrated Pierre added: 'They preferred to stay here on my land. It's a beautiful place, in the mountains, next to a river, and with fresh green grass.' He defended his actions, saying if they hadn't sprayed the field, more caravans might have turned up, putting the grass he uses to feed cattle at risk. 'Not only do they ruin the grass, they ruin the land and the river,' he said. 'Their cars and caravans flatten the earth and make it harder for the grass to grow.' More Trending He said he now fears retaliation from the group. Pascal Claude, the mayor of Syndicat, commented on the clash: 'They had no right to set up camp there, but they forced the barrier at the entrance of the land. The farmers and I are totally against this. 'Not only did they set up camp on a protected natural land, it is also a protected water source.' A representative for the campers told a court when an eviction order was being discussed that the group had asked the council to provide a site for them, but their request was ignored. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man, 22, arrested in Birmingham over 'people smuggling operation' MORE: Map of France wildfires shows where the Aude region is as blaze intensifies MORE: First migrants detained by border force agents under new UK-France deal
Scottish Sun
09-08-2025
- Scottish Sun
Defiant French farmer who sprayed travellers with manure fears ‘reprisals' as he speaks out after slurry stunt
It comes as a Brit farmer also recently sprayed manure to protest an unauthorised encampment FIGHTING DIRTY Defiant French farmer who sprayed travellers with manure fears 'reprisals' as he speaks out after slurry stunt A FRENCH farmer who sprayed manure at a group of travellers camped on his land now says he fears "reprisals". Shocking footage shows farmers using tractors to douse dozens of white caravans with liquid fertilizer on a field in the Vosges region of north-east France. Advertisement 4 Furious French farmers spray manure on travellers squatting on their farm Credit: YouTube 4 French farmers have used similar tactics before in protest 4 The group was heading to a religious festival in Grostenquin Credit: YouTube Pierre Richard, 37, set about spraying liquid manure on a group who had set up camp without permission on his family farm near the village of Le Syndicat. The field, passed down through five generations, is used to grow hay for Pierre's 50 dairy cows. He claims police told him there was nothing they could do about the situation, forcing him to take matters in his own hands. As the tractors approached, people inside the caravans were seen running away. Advertisement The group was reportedly en route to Grostenquin - about 90 minutes from the Luxembourg-France border - for an annual evangelical festival. The furious farmer told the Mail Online: "I'd simply had enough. They want us to simply shut our mouths and let them squat on our land. But this year I refused." He claimed that the 250 caravans ignored a designated traveller site nearby. Pierre said: "They preferred to stay here on my land. It's a beautiful place, in the mountains, next to a river, and with fresh green grass. Advertisement "They arrived at about 8pm on a Sunday night. When I heard they were there I went down there, but it was too late. "They had broken through the barriers and set up camp, hundreds of them. Farmer who found lost German backpacker in Outback reveals moment she found the tourist who 'slept in a cave to survive' "The following day I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do. "So, on the Tuesday we went out with the tractors and sprayed the rest of the prairie with slurry to make sure no more of them would come. Advertisement "As you can see from the footage, we stayed a minimum of 10 metres from the caravans." Pierre said he now feared "reprisals" from the people living in the encampment. The religious event, organised by the evangelical group Vie et Lumière ('Life and Light'), is scheduled for August 24 and 31, at the Grostenquin airbase. Around 5,000 caravans and between 15,000 to 20,000 people are expected to attend, according to regional news outlet Advertisement The return of the event has reportedly sparked controversy, with some local officials calling it "unacceptable" and farmers claiming it affects their work during the busy late-summer season. However, rights groups argue that this reflects long-standing discrimination against the travelling community in France. It comes as another French farmer, Loic Madre, shared a video online showing a similar protest. He claimed that he sprayed the encampment of travellers with manure on his farm as police did not act. Advertisement In the one-minute clip, up to six tractors can be seen spraying slurry - a mix of manure and water - across the field. Last year, Brit farmer Jack Bellamy used the same method after discovering a camper van parked on his land.
The Sun
09-08-2025
- The Sun
Defiant French farmer who sprayed travellers with manure fears ‘reprisals' as he speaks out after slurry stunt
A FRENCH farmer who sprayed manure at a group of travellers camped on his land now says he fears "reprisals". Shocking footage shows farmers using tractors to douse dozens of white caravans with liquid fertilizer on a field in the Vosges region of north-east France. 4 4 4 Pierre Richard, 37, set about spraying liquid manure on a group who had set up camp without permission on his family farm near the village of Le Syndicat. The field, passed down through five generations, is used to grow hay for Pierre's 50 dairy cows. He claims police told him there was nothing they could do about the situation, forcing him to take matters in his own hands. As the tractors approached, people inside the caravans were seen running away. The group was reportedly en route to Grostenquin - about 90 minutes from the Luxembourg-France border - for an annual evangelical festival. The furious farmer told the Mail Online: "I'd simply had enough. They want us to simply shut our mouths and let them squat on our land. But this year I refused." He claimed that the 250 caravans ignored a designated traveller site nearby. Pierre said: "They preferred to stay here on my land. It's a beautiful place, in the mountains, next to a river, and with fresh green grass. "They arrived at about 8pm on a Sunday night. When I heard they were there I went down there, but it was too late. "They had broken through the barriers and set up camp, hundreds of them. Farmer who found lost German backpacker in Outback reveals moment she found the tourist who 'slept in a cave to survive' "The following day I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do. "So, on the Tuesday we went out with the tractors and sprayed the rest of the prairie with slurry to make sure no more of them would come. "As you can see from the footage, we stayed a minimum of 10 metres from the caravans." Pierre said he now feared "reprisals" from the people living in the encampment. The religious event, organised by the evangelical group Vie et Lumière ('Life and Light'), is scheduled for August 24 and 31, at the Grostenquin airbase. Around 5,000 caravans and between 15,000 to 20,000 people are expected to attend, according to regional news outlet The return of the event has reportedly sparked controversy, with some local officials calling it "unacceptable" and farmers claiming it affects their work during the busy late-summer season. However, rights groups argue that this reflects long-standing discrimination against the travelling community in France. It comes as another French farmer, Loic Madre, shared a video online showing a similar protest. He claimed that he sprayed the encampment of travellers with manure on his farm as police did not act. In the one-minute clip, up to six tractors can be seen spraying slurry - a mix of manure and water - across the field. Last year, Brit farmer Jack Bellamy used the same method after discovering a camper van parked on his land. 4
Daily Mail
09-08-2025
- Daily Mail
The French farmer who said 'non' to gypsies: When travellers invaded his field and gendarmerie did nothing, Pierre Richard climbed into his tractor and sprayed them in merde!
The no-nonsense farmer who took matters into his own hands and sprayed travellers with putrid-smelling slurry after they squatted on his land says he was driven to breaking point - after police told him there was nothing they could do. Fearless dairy farmer Pierre Richard became an unlikely internet star after using reeking liquid manure to cover the gypsies who had stormed his family farm in northeastern France. The astonishing footage, now seen by millions, shows he and another farmer spraying fertilizer towards the unwanted intruders - who, in turn, desperately give chase. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Mr Richard, 37, revealed how he felt compelled to act after police waved away his desperate pleas for help. Speaking at his farm near the village of Le Syndicat in the Vosges region of France, the fifth-generation farmer said: 'I'd simply had enough. 'They want us to simply shut our mouths and let them squat on our land. But this year I refused. 'Every year hundreds of gypsies come into our valley and take over our land. This year I decided I had to do something.' Footage of Mr Richard's fertiliser-led fightback on July 8 was uploaded to social media with the caption: 'How to get rid of squatters on your property ... farmer style'. The viral video revealed how scores of white caravans and cars had commandeered part of his six-hectare field - including a red Ferrari. Furious travellers gave chase, with one man clinging to the side of a tractor cab, shaking his fist as the putrid slurry sprayed around him. Mr Richard, who took over the farm from his father nine years ago, claimed the travellers in 250 caravans - said to be on their way to a gypsy religious festival - had ignored an empty traveller site nearby to instead illegally occupy his farm. He said: 'They preferred to stay here on my land. It's a beautiful place, in the mountains, next to a river, and with fresh green grass. 'They arrived at about 8pm on a Sunday night. When I heard they were there I went down there, but it was too late. 'They had broken through the barriers and set up camp, hundreds of them. 'The following day I went to the police, but they said there was nothing they could do. 'So, on the Tuesday we went out with the tractors and sprayed the rest of the prairie with slurry to make sure no more of them would come. 'As you can see from the footage, we stayed a minimum of 10 metres from the caravans. 'It was the gypsies who chased us and attacked us in our cabs. It was really dangerous what they did. 'Fortunately our tractors and strong and kept them out. But they broke one of my wing mirrors.' Despite new laws in France which demand all communities with a population above 5,000 provide a traveller site, the squatters set up home on Mr Richard's field, used to grow hay for his 50 dairy cows. Instead of making use basic council facilities at an approved site nearby, the squatters enjoyed uninterrupted views over the picturesque Vosges mountain range. Mr Richard, whose farm was previously targeted by travellers in 2023, denied being a 'hero'. He said: 'I was just protecting my land from an even bigger occupation. Every year there are more and more of them. This year one even came with a Ferrari. 'If we had not sprayed the field, I don't know how many more caravans would have turned up. 'Not only do they ruin the grass, they ruin the land and the river. 'Their cars and caravans flatten the earth and make it harder for the grass to grow. 'And they go to the toilet everywhere - everywhere apart from in their caravans. It's disgusting. The river is an important fresh-water resource, but they leave it polluted with human waste. 'They open a water hydrant and leave it running day and night - using hundreds of litres of water, even if there is a drought. 'My family have been farming this land for five generations and we are not going to stop.' The convoy of travellers were said to be making their way north to the annual Grostenquin gypsy religious festival. The week-long 'Life and Light' religious gathering attracts 30,000 Roma travellers from across France. But the festival, roughly equivalent to Britain's Appleby Horse Fair, is opposed by local residents who complain about the disruption, environmental pollution and nuisance it causes. Dairy farmer Dominic Frenot, 52, told Mail Online: 'Everyone in this area is sick to death of the gypsies coming en masse and taking over our land. 'I have real admiration for Pierre for standing up to them. He was very courageous. 'They took over one of my prairies a couple of years ago and caused a lot of damage. 'I made a formal complaint, and it went to court months later. The gypsies were fined 1,000 uuros. But I was ordered to instruct a bailiff myself to retrieve the money. I never saw a penny.' Another farmer Xavier Duc, 46, added: 'The gypsies are a real nuisance. They took over one of my prairies and completely ruined it. 'Not only do they destroy the grass that is growing they also ruin the land with their heavy vehicles so that it takes years for the grass to grown properly again. 'I'd say once they take over a prairie it causes us 1000 euros in damages per hectare. 'I'm right behind Pierre. I'm pleased someone has had the guts to stand up to them for once.' Mayor of Syndicat, Pascal Claude, also shared his frustration. He said: 'They had no right to set up camp there, but they forced the barrier at the entrance of the land. The farmers and I are totally against this. 'Not only did they set up camp on a protected natural land, it is also a protected water source.' The travellers who invaded Mr Richard's farm - named in French local media as the Parti d'Alsace - claimed that the nearby traveller site did not have sufficient capacity for their 250-caravan convoy. There have been similar reports of travellers setting up camps illegally on football pitches and agricultural land across France this summer. Mr Richard said he feared 'reprisals' from the travellers after his slurry stunt. 'You never know when they will come back. You don't know what they might do. We have no idea who they are or what they have done in the past.' He added: 'I've got nothing against travellers. We just want this to stop. So that we can do our jobs and feed the people. 'Everyone has the right in live with dignity, but not at other people's expense.' The travellers finally left the site in mid-July after an eviction order was granted by a court in nearby Epinal. Their lawyer told the court that the group had asked the local authorities to provide a site for them this summer, but their demand had been ignored. Maitre Laure Iognat-Prat said: 'The trip was planned; they had contacted the Vosges [department authorities] at the beginning of the year to reserve a site. [But] They never received a response.'
