French wine activists attack supermarkets

French wine industry activists have attacked supermarkets in the Herault region in the south of the country, setting fires and causing damage, according to an AFP report.

The attacks appear to be the work of the comite regional d’action viticole. CRAV is a group of radical French wine producers, which calls for more protection of the country’s wine industry through such things as restrictive tariffs. The group, which has been active for a number of years, is frustrated by the erosion of France’s wine industry as a result of declining demand at home, increasing imports as well as more competition in the world market.

In these most recent attacks, fire engines had to be called to a Carrefour in Nimes after an electrical transformer in the car park was blown up, an incendiary device blew out windows of an Intermarche in Magdalas and Lidl in Capestrang had rubbish bins set on fire and an office firebombed. CRAV graffiti was also found scrawled on the walls of a number of other supermarkets.